One Day
by FictionMission
Summary: Inuyasha had always hoped that one day he would be accepted and loved, only to get so close with Kagome and have it fall apart. As the final straw, it sends him into a depressed and needy state. He's left a broken shell of his old self, until the impossible happens and catches his brother's eye. Can Sesshomaru make things better for him and attempt to heal their past? Yaoi/Mpreg.
1. Chapter 1

_Warning: M for language. Angst._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_Hey, everyone! This will be yet another SessInu mpreg. I know, I know. *sighs* I hope you enjoy it anyway. If you don't like mpreg, there's a back button._

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Inuyasha loved autumn - the changing leaves, the chilly air, and the fresh scent of rainfall. He sat idly watching red and orange leaves falling in front of him through a half-asleep haze. Yet again, he was taking a nap up in his favorite branch while Kagome was in her era. Since getting married, things had changed between them and not for the better. She went home these days more frequently and the reason he was even taking another nap was from the pounding headache she'd given him earlier. Although, he knew he'd tested her nerves too. It seemed all they did these days was fight. Even more so than when they traveled to defeat Naraku and find the shards.

He couldn't understand why. Perhaps she realized marrying a half demon was a mistake and regretted it. Or maybe she missed the modern world more than she realized and took it out on him. Either way, it left an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach and left him wondering if they'd made the right decision by being together. And the love life...well, he didn't want to think about that either. The sex that they had was, well, fairly awkward unfortunately. It left him and her both unsatisfied and unable to speak to each other until morning. He was sure he was doing something wrong, as usual.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, making him flinch.

How the hell had he not heard her coming towards the tree this time? Inuyasha realized quickly though as he counted the days, that the new moon was tomorrow. His senses were beginning to weaken already. Growling, he once again cursed his human half, even though Kagome had helped him to accept what he was by now. Accepting his hanyou status didn't make changing into a human each month any more tolerable however. He still lamented over it.

"Yeah?" He finally called back, his eyes flickering down lazily to look at her frustrated face.

"Get down here. I really need to talk to you..." Suddenly, she sounded nervous and he didn't like her tone of voice.

"Fine." He grumbled, hopping down and folding his arms casually into the billowing sleeves of his fire rat robes.

Kagome brushed back some dark hair, pulling her knees up to her chest. Inuyasha nearly shuddered at her scent suddenly. The damn wench had the nerve to smell so nice when they were about to have what would most likely end up being another argument. The smell of her heat left him almost dizzy, but of course with her human senses she was unaware.

"Inuyasha look, I think..." She paused, biting her lip, "I think we're in trouble."

"Huh? What the hell do you mean by that, Kagome?" He asked gruffly, turning to look at her with incredulous eyes. Intuitively though, he knew exactly what she meant.

Their marriage was in trouble.

She turned her brown eyes to him, smiling softly. "You're not that dense. You know what I mean."

"Yeah..." He agreed sullenly, frowning as he absently picked at the grass with his claws.

The air became very awkward suddenly and the hanyou felt like he was having an out-of-body experience suddenly, as though he didn't know who this woman was next to him and felt his connection to her diminishing with each passing strained moment.

"It's just, we've been fighting so much lately..." Kagome murmured, breaking the god awful silence. "And well, let's face it. Things haven't exactly been romantic."

"Kagome, I know I'm not the warmest guy ever, but I could try a little more to be thoughtful or whatever. As long as you promise to not be so sensitive all the time." He said, glancing at her.

Her body grew rigid and he could swear the air felt colder suddenly. She stood up, her priestess robes billowing in the gentle breeze as she glared down furiously at him. "Excuse me for being sensitive. I've been putting up with your bad attitude for a long time too, you know!" She shouted.

"My attitude? Keh! What about yours?" He retorted angrily, also standing up and leaning in so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"Don't stand so close to me!" She yelled, stepping back and crossing her arms. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down enough to speak again casually, "Anyway, I also wanted to let you know that while I was home I sent out a couple of applications. Not that you know what that means."

"Yeah...so?" He said, sneering at her. '_What the hell is an application? Some kind of demon?'_

"The university of my choice accepted me and I'm thinking about going." She said honestly, digging her foot into the ground nervously and made a little hole in the dirt.

It was silent for a few seconds.

"That means..." He realized, blinking several times. "You're leaving back to your era?"

She frowned apologetically, looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But I'm not happy here, and we're not doing so well together, and I miss my friends and family. I care about you, but after being here awhile I realized that this isn't where I'm meant to be, even though I thought it was."

Inuyasha felt like he was in a dream, or rather a nightmare. He stood there, unable to believe what she was saying. He couldn't find his voice for many moments, and by the time he did she had already turned around to leave. Faintly, he could smell the scent of her tears. Snapping out of it, he ran after her and tried to grab her shoulder.

"Wait, Kagome!"

She shrugged him off, continuing to walk to the wall. "Please don't make this harder than it needs to be. For once, quit being a jerk and respect other people's feelings!"

"What about mine?" He asked incredulously. "Do you think it's easy to watch my wife walk away from me? I thought we...you know, that we loved each other."

She gave him the oddest look, before all the angry festering feelings she'd stored away suddenly bubbled up to the surface. Normally, she hated to be this mean, but she wasn't feeling like herself right now and furthermore she was as upset as he was.

"First of all, your _feelings_? Give me a break, as if you have any!" Kagome shouted, narrowing her eyes, "You've got to be one of the most insensitive, pig-headed, idiotic people I've ever met! I don't know why I pined after you all that time during high school, thinking I belonged here with you. I was just being idealistic and holding onto the past. But now I see you as you truly are - a selfish, rude, angry jerk who doesn't deserve anyone because you have no idea how to treat others! Even your older brother seems to have more people that actually like him, and he has no personality!"

Inuyasha only stared at her, speechless.

She took another calming breath, placing a hand to her forehead. "I'm grateful to you though for saving me and the others all those times. You were brave and loyal, and I appreciated that about you. We wouldn't have been able to defeat Naraku without your help. But...at the end of the day, you're still just an angry jerk who is practically insufferable to those around you. I've had enough, but I _am_ sorry."

"Sorry." He repeated flatly.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha."

They looked at each other for the last time, and the hanyou took those brief moments to etch her face into his memory. He didn't want to forget her, no matter how much she'd hurt him just now. It felt strangely like Kikyo all over again, but rather than an arrow through his chest it was scathing words. His ears lowered slightly as he watched her continue down the path to the bone eater's well, and this time he didn't question her about when she would be back or try to stop her.

He simply let her be.

o

A mere ten minutes later, he walked listlessly into the village, ignoring the looks of the villagers. Some of them were grateful for his help in the defeat of the spider hanyou and bowed politely, but others were still a bit fearful of him and glared at he passed. They usually never dared to send him such dirty looks when Kagome or the others were around, but now he was alone so they preyed upon his solitude with their disdainful stares and angry snarls.

"Where's Kagome?" That was the first thing Sango asked him upon his return. Not 'how are you' or 'why do you look so down', as it seemed he wasn't anyone's concern. He knew he was being slightly irrational, but the priestess' words had truly got to him. It wasn't easy to shake off like it normally were, and he blamed it on the fact the new moon was tomorrow. It had to be the human emotions.

"Yeah, where is she? I really want to talk to her! You said she'd be coming back today." Shippo piped in excitedly, ignoring the forlorn look on the hanyou's face even though he found it strange.

"She, uh, left." Inuyasha said quietly, not quite sounding like himself.

Miroku was the only one who seemed genuinely concerned, raising a brow. "Is there something troubling you? You look almost sad, Inuyasha. Perhaps you and Lady Kagome got into another fight?"

"Oh man, you idiot! I bet you drove her off again! Unbelievable!" Shippo smacked a hand to his forehead, shaking his head slowly, "And you two are married, at that. Why don't you just go apologize to her?"

"Perhaps she needs her space." Miroku said calmly, trying to diffuse the situation by appealing to both sides of the argument. He usually tried to be the mediator, but of course the others were more temperamental so it never really worked most times.

"So typical of you to drive her away, Inuyasha. I don't see why you two can't get along better." Sango lamented, shaking her head too.

The hanyou was unusually quiet, shrugging a little. "We did fight again, but it wasn't necessarily all my fault..."

"Please just go, Inuyasha." Sango said suddenly, waving him off. She had been looking forward to seeing her friend, and the disappointment mixed with being exhausted from taking care of three young children left her more than moody to say the least.

"Yeah, you dumb dog! You need to apologize!" Shippo shouted, wincing when he realized his words would result in another punch.

When no physical punishment came, he slowly opened his eyes only to see the hanyou walking off with his silver hair blowing behind him wildly. "Kagome isn't coming back." He said loudly, though with an eerie emptiness that they all noticed. He sounded defeated.

"What you mean, _never_?" Sango cried, her eyes widening.

"She left for good this time." He said lowly.

The three were left speechless, too upset to even yell at him. Somehow, their silence was deafening and more hurtful than anything that they could've said.

o

Inuyasha rubbed at his stomach, full and warm from the meal that Miroku had brought him the next day. The monk was the only one who was still speaking to him and appeared a bit worried about his welfare even though he was upset at Kagome's leave.

The hanyou wondered suddenly why he was bothering to stick around. There wasn't any point anymore. Kaede and Rin had found out shortly after through word of mouth that Kagome had left, and he knew undoubtedly that they were mad as well. Well, Rin would probably handle it better. She and the young priestess weren't all that close and Sesshomaru visited her from time to time.

Leaping down from the branch, he walked towards the dirt path that led to the village. He looked at it blankly, memories flooding his depressed mind. Spinning around on his heel, he decided to leave and not come back. There wasn't any point in staying here, nor anywhere else. He was too different and belonged nowhere, he reminded himself. The journey to defeat Naraku had brought him company, but it wasn't meant to last. Inuyasha kept reminding himself of this as he walked aimlessly. He reminded himself of all the insults and fights he'd been in just for being a hanyou. It was more than that, however. It felt as though no matter what he did nor said, it wasn't good enough. He was worthless, ignored, his feelings were usually pushed aside, and ultimately no one truly cared all because he was so different.

'_I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. Damn it, I was an idiot to think I could actually have friends or a relationship for this long. It's a wonder it even lasted this long to begin with..._' Inuyasha thought, kicking at some stones in his path. Sighing, his ears flattened as he looked up at the setting sun.

That was when he realized he would be turning human soon. This time, he didn't care. He was happy he would be turning mortal. Maybe some demon would eat him, kill him, and end his pitiful existence.

Gasping, he could already feel the changes. As the sun set, he winced as his fangs retracted painfully and his ears shifted. It was always an uncomfortable feeling, but it didn't last long. Soon enough, he was fully human and completely helpless.

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_Well, there's the first chapter. I can't think of much else to say, except Sesshomaru doesn't appear for awhile. So, I'm not jumping straight into the mating/pups thing (at least not between those two) just yet. I also apologize for the slight Kagome bashing, I normally don't like to portray her negatively because I actually sort of like her character. Anyway, please review! Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_Hey everyone! Thank you for the reviews! Anyway, on with the story lol._

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The harbor town he was in was a sprawling expanse of low rectangular huts and was near the ocean, and now late at night it was asleep, few lights still burning and a couple of people of their way home. Inuyasha felt safe walking through the village while mortal, and was unsure of why he was in one to begin with. Usually he hid in the forest until dawn, but for some reason he had felt inclined to be near others. Maybe he was lonely and pathetic right now, or maybe he'd lost his senses due to heartbreak.

Or maybe his earlier idea of being eaten by demons didn't sound so appealing anymore now that he felt little less fatalistic and level-headed. It was a combination of all those things, truthfully.

He wondered to the late-night bar district suddenly, momentarily impressed at how much humans were improving their villages. They were beginning to look more like towns, and he realized in a few centuries it would look like Kagome's era.

'_Kagome..._' He winced, almost feeling like actually slapping himself for thinking about her. He shook his head, clearing any thoughts of her from his mind.

The hard-packed dirt of the bar district felt rough under his human feet, and he frowned at how fragile and delicate this mortal body was. It nearly made him laugh when he thought about how much human men boasted of their strength, which was nothing compared to demons and even some other animals. To the hanyou though, the females held the real strength. It almost made him shudder at he recalled seeing births throughout his travels in the past, and thanking whatever gods were up there that he was male.

He looked up at the hanging lights, filled with candles that lit up the inns and bars. Groups of men sat around drinking alcohol and playing games with dice. Even as a mortal, he could smell the pungent stench of sake and bad breath and it made him sick to his stomach. He then wondered again why the hell he had come here. Inuyasha supposed it didn't matter, because he had no real point for living other than survival. He was alone again.

For some reason, Inuyasha felt a stirring need as well. This always happened when he was human too, which was why he was more snappy during this night. He'd never told the others, but suspected Shippo and Kirara had known about his need. It became stronger on his mortal night, when he was more emotional and in tune with his body's wants.

"Hey, you wanna play too?"

Inuyasha froze, cursing himself for getting too close to them. He had only meant to pass through, not to actually engage in conversation with someone. Or in this case, a group. One of the men was holding up a dice, gesturing to the wooden board below them.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, thanks. I ain't interested."

The man shrugged. "Suit yourself. Take a seat, you can watch and reconsider."

Inuyasha eyed him strangely, looking around suspiciously before sitting down with a small frown. He figured it wouldn't hurt to watch one stupid game, then he'd get the hell out of here and wait until dawn until he transformed once again.

Looking at the man he was sitting next to, he realized he looked like a solider rather than the usual villager. He was also more handsome than average as well, with a charming smile and full head of long black hair while the other men sported half-balding topknots and they all seemed to resemble one another.

"A beautiful boy shouldn't frown like that. Consider yourself lucky, some of us didn't do so well in the gene pool." One of the balding men said, in a chastising yet somehow friendly tone.

It made Inuyasha feel oddly welcomed, and he smirked in reply. "I ain't a looker, old man. But thanks."

"I'm only thirty."

Inuyasha's eyes widened apologetically. "I'm sorry...I thought-! It's just, you look-!"

"No, it's alright young man. I'm fifty." He said, and the other men began laughing at the look on Inuyasha's face.

"Oh...you got me." He said, laughing weakly. His face heated up as he looked down at the board instead, watching the game rather than them.

"Don't mind him, he's always a joker." The solider said, throwing the dice and wincing, "Shoot. I suppose I'm not so lucky tonight." He turned, grinning at him in a way that made him uncomfortable, "Although, meeting you was quite lucky. You seem interesting. May I have your name?"

"My name isn't important. I don't plan on staying long." Inuyasha said gruffly, not looking at him.

"Very well. Perhaps we could know one another better before you leave."

"How's that?" Inuyasha asked confusedly, arching a suspicious brow at him.

He ignored him, focusing on the game instead. Inuyasha watched the men play a few more rounds before they eventually scattered off and went home. It was the middle of the night and the bar district was mostly empty by now.

The still-nameless solider suddenly slipped his hand around Inuyasha's waist, making him tense up as he looked incredulously up at him. "Let me go, damn it."

"Or what, pretty boy? You'll kill me? Oh please, you're not as dangerous as I am."

"Wanna bet?" Inuyasha asked amusedly, raising a brow.

"You carry a sword with you. Are you any good with it?" He asked, his words slurring a bit in his tipsy state.

Inuyasha merely nodded. "Yeah, I'm great with it actually."

"Wanna spar?"

"I think you need to lay down. I gotta go, I'm not supposed to be here in the first place." Inuyasha insisted, looking towards the forest.

The man then looked up at him with a look that sent chills down his spine, and not in a bad way. That stupid ache came back, heating his loins. It disturbed him that another male could make him feel this way, but still that need persisted strongly.

The solider recognized the look in the other's eyes and acted upon in quickly. He took his wrist, leading him into the inn nearby.

o

Inuyasha laid in bed hours later, feeling absolutely disgusted by his own actions. Truthfully, the sex hadn't been so bad. The other man had been gentle, knowing all the right places to touch and rub him, and it clearly wasn't the soldier's first time bedding another male. If it was, then kudos to him, Inuyasha figured.

What truly got to him was the fact that he _enjoyed_ it. More so than when he was with Kagome and with a sinking feeling he wondered if maybe he wasn't as attracted to women as he thought. That before it had been yet another piece to his tough, angry mask and with a cold icy feeling the hanyou realized he had no idea who the hell he was.

Inuyasha had never gotten the liberty of having a carefree childhood, one where he could explore all his interests and desires and learn who he was in some weird life-changing adolescent journey.

No, he'd been denied that. Rather, he was spending his youth fighting for survival constantly. With no one that cared, besides this solider. And that was only because he was human right now. At this moment, he was still acceptable. He was worth something.

Smiling sadly, he thought about how pathetic his life had become in such a short time. Actually, it had been fairly pointless before he'd met Kagome also. But somehow, it was worse this time. Not just because he'd easily given himself to someone else out of loneliness, but it was because of the fact that he'd gotten so used to Kagome and the company of friends that it felt so much crappier to be alone this time around. At least before, he was okay with it. But now he knew the pleasure and annoyances of having relationships with people and hell, he actually missed it.

As the sun began to rise, Inuyasha quickly gathered his robes and sword, yanking his clothes on hurriedly. The solider shifted, peering at him sleepily with a warm smile.

"Wait, kid."

Inuyasha started and turned. A candle flickered on, illuminating the paneled room and the bamboo mats. The sunlight was peeking through the shutters, making Inuyasha gasp as he realized he didn't have much time left.

"I have to go now. It was, uh, nice meeting you." Inuyasha said urgently, slipping out quickly before the man could react.

Faintly, he heard footsteps running after him, and turned to see the topless man call out to him. "Please don't leave! One more time couldn't hurt. You're too pretty for me to last very long!"

Inuyasha gasped as he began glowing, shocking the other man. He got out of there before he could see him fully transform and ran into the edge of the forest just as he turned half demon again. Panting heavily, he grabbed a tree trunk and dug his claws into it.

"Oh man, that was way too close!" He panted, swallowing thickly.

The hanyou walked aimlessly once more, his mind still reeling from last night's events. It had almost seemed like a dream, yet it wasn't. He wondered if perhaps he should go back to Kaede's village, maybe it was okay to go back now. The others couldn't be that furious with him, could they?

In the back of his mind, he knew he wouldn't exactly be welcomed back with open arms. The only ones who might be a little tolerant of his presence were Kaede and Miroku. As much as it burned his already tattered pride, he knew that going back wouldn't end well.

o

Inuyasha felt his insides roil in longing. He needed it again. This had been going on ever since that night with the solider about two weeks ago. Self-pleasure wasn't cutting it anymore. Yes, it felt good and the pleasure he'd gotten after was amazing, but it didn't completely sate the need. He needed the touch of someone else.

He longed for it.

Soon he found himself waking up in a warm pile of furs, sated and his need gone, at least for the time being. The demon who had bedded him was tolerant of half demons, but it was obvious that he wanted him gone now that it was morning. The man was a wolf demon, with messy wavy brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"You should go now, hanyou." He muttered. "This was fun, but I'm not looking for something serious."

"Neither am I." Inuyasha muttered, shrugging. "Anyway, I'll see you around..."

"Kai."

"Inuyasha."

o

When autumn turned into winter, Inuyasha began feeling off. After emptying his stomach in yet another bush, he panted and wiped his mouth. His stomach felt like it was in knots. Looking up at the stars, he wondered why this illness only surfaced at night and early morning. It left him feeling tired, dizzy, and just odd.

"I must have eaten something wrong." He figured, once again for the thousandth time.

Rubbing his stomach, he sat down a little shakily. He looked up at the slowly rising sun, at the bare trees, and dark sky and felt utterly lonely just then. He hated this feeling of solitude, but knew now that he truly deserved it. Worthless beings like him didn't deserve love or companionship.

'_I guess only bad things are supposed to happen to people like myself. To hanyou, or to those who are different somehow. Maybe it's just the way that things are..._' He thought idly.

The hanyou figured he would make some soup to calm his stomach down. His red robes glowed more brightly in the blaze of the fire as it came to a boil. He went to pour the soup in the bowl he'd bought, his face scrunching with annoyance at how his hand shook a little. It was annoying and painstaking to get just the right amount in there, since his damn muscles felt like goo suddenly. Once he was done eating, he stood up and glared up at the sky, wishing that he could just drop dead already.

This puking was getting on his nerves. Inuyasha had always had a strong stomach - he could eat basically eating and not throw up, no matter how gross he found it. He'd never had food poisoning in his life. But it seemed like his stomach was losing its defenses, because he had been puking for the last three months now. It was almost spring and he was still sick and unable to claim anymore that it was just a 'winter flu'.

All that wouldn't matter, if he were able to sleep when he wanted to! The exhaustion he felt didn't help his already depressed state. He fell asleep at the oddest times - when he was fishing, hunting, after territorial fights with other demons. Either way, it wasn't safe for him to be roaming the forests anymore. But he had no one, so he didn't have much choice. It was still driving him nuts though.

Ugh.

He wanted to sleep, damn it.

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_Inuyasha is **NOT** a man-whore, he just has...well, needs lol. Review if you have the time and thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed._


	3. Chapter 3

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg. _

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Now onto the next chapter lol..._

* * *

After taking a long nap, he decided to swallow his pride and go back to the village. He was sick and needed help, and he knew that no other healers would see him because he was a half breed. So he ran as quickly as he could towards Kaede's hut, ignoring any odd looks he might've gotten.

Slowly, he slid back the flap to Kaede's hut, and froze when she and Rin looked up at him strangely as though he were a ghost.

"Inuyasha..." Kaede murmured, her eye wide, "I did not think ye were coming back."

To her surprise, he didn't snap rudely at her. Instead, he blushed and opened his mouth uncertainly as though he didn't know what to say. "I need your help, then I'll leave again. I promise."

Kaede blinked curiously. "I didn't realize her leaving affected ye so much. Ye must have truly loved her more than we all had realized. In any case, I will check ye injuries."

'_Of course it affected me...but then again why would anyone care that I have feelings?_' He thought, sitting down. "It's not an injury, it's more of an illness."

"I thought demons didn't get sick." She murmured calmly.

"They don't, but I've been feeling nauseous and kinda tired lately." He told her quietly.

Rin smiled at him brightly. "Well don't worry, we'll figure out what's wrong with you. Right, Lady Kaede?"

"That's right. Now let's see...remove your shirt, Inuyasha." Kaede ordered gently.

He did as told much to her shock, not putting up a fight this time. Kaede frowned at his docile behavior, noticing he seemed nothing like his usual self. Or at least, the self that he showed to the world.

"Let's see..." She concentrated on his energy, feeling for anything odd. There was a strong pulse suddenly, not coming from his heart but rather from his abdomen. It felt new and pure, and very small. Faintly, she could pick up the beating of a small, very quick heartbeat through her healing abilities.

Rin was busily sorting red berries into two piles, nearly dropping them at Kaede's surprised gasp. The pre-teen looked over at the other woman curiously, placing the two baskets of dried berries on one of the small wooden shelves.

Kaede shook her head quickly. "Impossible. It cannot be, perhaps I've lost my touch due to old age."

She waited for him to agree, with his usual snarky remarks but he said nothing. Instead, he simply looked at her with wide eyes, patiently waiting for the priestess to tell him what she'd found.

"It's that bad? I'm dying, aren't I?" His golden eyes narrowed, feeling a strange warm happiness at the idea. The gods might be merciful after all. He'd been wanting to die for awhile, but now there was finally an end to everything.

Kaede chuckled sadly. "Ye are fine. However, child...ye are..."

Rin looked over at her mentor curiously. She was rarely hesitant and usually told patients flat out what was wrong, no matter how terrible it was. The young woman couldn't understand why she couldn't just tell him.

"Tell me first, and then I'll tell him if it makes it easier for you." Rin suggested with a reassuring smile.

"His hearing is superior to ours." Kaede reminded the girl, who nodded in agreement. "I'll tell him."

"So, what is it?" He asked casually.

Kaede fidgeted uncomfortably, looking down at her folded hands that rested on her lap instead of his luminous golden eyes.

"...ye are with child."

It was quiet for many moments, the boy looking at the two women unseeingly as he placed his hands on his knees. He continued to stare, his mind unable to process what she'd said.

"It's a blessing." Kaede added, trying to make him feel better.

"I'm a guy. Male, as in, can't get pregnant. I don't..." He let out a hysterical laugh, shaking his head quickly. "No way in hell! I get it now, you're messing with me because you're angry at me for ruining things between Kagome and I. Well, guess what? I'm not gonna fall for it."

"Inuyasha, I am not joking. Ye are three months along." She continued, frowning.

The hanyou's eye was twitching uncontrollably. "So...you mean it. I'm pregnant."

She smiled at him. "Yes. I know it is impossible, but are ye not happy?"

"I don't even know who the father is...or how this could happen in the first place." He murmured.

Kaede and Rin frowned, and he could tell by the look in their eyes they thought he'd been violated.

"I wasn't...taken forcefully." He assured them and watched as they seemed to deflate from relief.

"Perhaps ye became pregnant due to-!"

He scoffed, holding a hand up. "Due to what? To being a half breed, a freak that should've never been born? I'm two different species in one person, of course something this messed up would happen to me."

"Please don't talk about yourself so poorly, it'll be okay." Rin tried to comfort him, patting his leg.

He appreciated the small kindness, but it didn't show on his blank, defeated expression. "I can't believe this...I'm pregnant and I don't even know who the kid's father is. I really am a screw up."

The other two became silent, unsure of what to say. Rin bounced back first, always cheerful despite all she'd been through in the past. Her smile was oddly comforting and she clasped her small hands together.

"It's okay, you can still be a family. Sometimes families only have one parent, instead of two. I only had Lord Sesshomaru and I think I turned out okay, but Jaken disagrees but who cares about his opinion anyway? I sure don't." Rin noticed the amused look on the hanyou's face, thinking he needed more clarification when really he was shocked by her intelligence that went beyond her years, "He gets really jealous sometimes, but that's because he has a small heart to match his tiny body."

"You're probably right, Rin..." Inuyasha said quietly, smirking. "I guess it'll be okay." '_I don't wanna be pregnant at all, but I can't get rid of it either. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't give this kid a chance._'

Miroku came in at that moment, looking for a certain herb. His blue eyes scanned his pale, bewildered form and he frowned a bit. He wanted to ask him about his whereabouts, but his concern overrode his confusion.

"Are you alright, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked up at him, his mouth stretched in a hysterical grin. "No."

The monk looked over at the priestess and midwife-in-training. "Ladies, what's wrong with him?"

Kaede shrugged, sparing Inuyasha's pride for the time being. "Oh, nothing of importance. He's a bit shaken up from a fight. I'm afraid the demon let out a foul spray, and his nose is so sensitive as ye know."

"Oh, I see." The monk said, only partially believing that smooth lie. "Well, feel better Inuyasha. I'm glad that you've returned."

Inuyasha was still in shock, but managed a weak smile. "Thanks, monk."

"I cannot say that Sango and Shippo will be as glad. I will not tell them you're back for now." He told him.

Nodding, the hanyou laid down as the reality of the situation crashed upon him. "Sure thing..."

He was pregnant. With a real, living baby. It would need him, look up to him, spend its childhood with him. Inuyasha wasn't sure if he was ready for such a responsibility and more than that, he worried that the child would hate him too.

o

Inuyasha didn't answer Miroku when he politely asked again for help performing an exorcism. The hanyou finally turned to him with a serious look, subconsciously holding his stomach.

"You were okay without my help while I was gone. Why can't you do it alone?" He asked, though not rudely.

That also concerned the monk. His friend was no longer feisty or brash, he was quiet and sometimes timid. He'd changed since Kagome had left for good.

"I know, but you're very strong." Miroku said, offering him a compliment to soften his resolve, "And I could use the extra help."

"Even if I wanted to, I can't." He said decisively. "I'm...sick."

Miroku eyed him suspiciously. "You still haven't told me why you were really in Kaede's hut. Are you gravely ill?"

"No, I'm uh..." He paused, sighing heavily, "I just can't fight for awhile. Ask Kaede or Rin, they'll tell you what's wrong."

"I could, but I want to hear it from your mouth. I'm just concerned, Inuyasha."

"Don't be, I'm not worth worrying about. Sorry I couldn't help." He muttered gruffly, taking off before the other man had a chance to speak again.

Kirara followed after the hanyou, leaping onto his shoulder. Miroku noticed that the past month, the feline had taken to spending more time not just with Kohaku for demon slaying, but with Inuyasha as well. The hanyou's vomiting had lessened, but he was still acting moody and secretive. Miroku thought the half demon was gaining weight, but he couldn't be sure under those baggy robes.

Sango walked up to him, frowning. "I wonder what's wrong with him."

"I'm surprised you care."

"Don't get me wrong, Miroku. I'm still angry at him for driving my best friend away, but he seems really ill. Should we ask Kaede what's wrong with him?"

"No, I think we should respect his privacy. He'll tell us when he is ready to." Miroku smiled at her, kissing her forehead chastely.

"It's almost like he's pregnant or something." Sango said out of nowhere, nearly making the monk choke on his own spit.

"What? Don't say such ridiculous things. It's too much for me to think about." Miroku said, his head filled with odd images of puppy-eared babies and Inuyasha's belly firm and swollen with child.

"Sorry, it's just, he seems to be going through most of the things that I did when I was pregnant with the twins and our son." Sango told him, shrugging.

"Interesting...how strange indeed." Miroku cast one last worried glance at Inuyasha's slim back as he retreated into the forest. Then he turned around and walked back to his hut with his wife, the spring breeze blowing warmly through the clearing.

o

Inuyasha found a nice quiet spot to sit and settled down to sleep, his usual fatigue taking over. Kirara mewed into his ear, her soft tail tickling his arms as she laid next to him. Inuyasha slept uneasily, images of him giving birth to some alien-like thing and Kaede's graphic explanations of what might occur when he gave birth. He awoke only a half hour later covered in cold sweat, and glared at nothing in particular as he huffed irritatedly.

How did these strange things always happen to him? As if being born of two totally different backgrounds wasn't odd enough, he had puppy ears, a pearl that used to reside in his goddamn eye, and now he apparently could get knocked up by other men.

His life was simply peachy.

Inuyasha growled, sitting up completely which woke the cat demon up. He felt so weak, and in need of someone's touch and comfort, someone who could love him and help him through this. It was an unsettling feeling and it felt...weak. He felt like a woman, and it was unpleasant to say the least.

All right, no. He was lying to himself. Inuyasha looked down at his belly, at the slight bulge that pressed against his loose red haori. One of his hands slid down to cup the curve, and he grimaced in weak, false irritation as a wash of some heart-warming feeling soaked through him.

No, he liked it. He liked knowing that there was something growing inside of him, something that his body had created, some kind of spark of life. He didn't know what to tell the others. He didn't think they would understand. And it was impossible to hide it from them; once his stomach truly swelled up, they would be able to put two and two together on their own. At the end of the day, people could usually tell the difference between someone who was merely overweight and someone who was pregnant. Inuyasha knew that he wouldn't be able to use the excuse that he just gained some weight in a couple months, as he was already four months along.

But damn it, he just didn't want to tell them.

He shivered. It felt strange and even lonelier somehow to keep this secret from his only real friends, friends that he had traveled with for a long time in the past. He was all alone with this huge responsibility, with no clue who the sire was at that.

Inuyasha had a couple of ideas - it was either the human solider or the brown-haired wolf demon.

He sat up further, which dislodged Kirara fully from his lap and she mewed her annoyance, rubbing lazy circles on his belly with her tail. It was obvious she knew already. Inuyasha glared up at the trees awhile longer before heading back to the village to catch some fish from the river. Might as well make himself useful.

He'd think about what to do later.

* * *

_Okay, that's it for now. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Hope you enjoy this next chapter and thanks for reading! _

* * *

'Later' had stretched into two more months. Now six months pregnant, it was getting more obvious that he wasn't merely gaining some weight. Miroku and Sango kept quiet, but they knew about his pregnancy too expect for Shippo who was pretty oblivious. He just thought a bad spirit had possessed his stomach. Shippo had offered to help Inuyasha out with his magic tricks, to which the hanyou had rolled his eyes and chucked him over his shoulder.

"Inuyasha, can we talk?" Miroku asked seriously.

A strong breeze blew through the clearing they were in an almost foreboding manner, and the hanyou nearly sighed as he realized he would soon have to explain himself to the monk.

"What about?" He asked quietly.

"You, ah, seem...to be...quite..." He was at a loss for words, blushing madly.

"What? With child?" Inuyasha filled in for him, smirking a little before continuing, "You know, for a guy who asked every woman _ever_ to bear his child and then proceeded to make three kids so fast it made my head spin, you are unusually shy when talking about pregnancy."

Miroku couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, grinning mirthfully. "Fair enough, my friend."

"So what if I am? I mean, it's not that important." He muttered shyly, looking away from the other man. The hanyou tightened the new obi he'd gotten above his stomach that wrapped around his loose red kimono that he'd chosen to wear instead, even though his fire rat robe material could grow with him.

"It is important. I mean, this isn't something that normally happens to males as you know. If you need our support-!"

"I don't need help." '_I don't deserve it..._'

"Inuyasha, don't be so rash. You-!"

A soft fluttering made the half demon pause and press a hand to his belly. He gasped, looking down at the swell of his stomach. "What the...? I think it kicked."

Inuyasha was sort of used to being pregnant by now. He even caught himself cradling his stomach at nights. Pathetic, yeah...but it just made him feel nice to know that he was harboring life inside him.

Ugh. He sounded so mushy.

"Really?" Without asking, the monk's hand was on his belly and his indigo eyes sparked with fascination. "I can't feel it."

"Oh, well it's definitely moving. It might be too small still to feel from the outside." Inuyasha told him, shrugging a bit.

Miroku smiled softly, shaking his head. "I cannot believe you of all people are going to be a mother."

"Oh, shut up." It sounded half-hearted. Honestly, the hanyou himself couldn't believe it either.

It was surreal.

o

Inuyasha sat rubbing his belly absentmindedly, enjoying the early summer sunshine. It felt nice - warm yet breezy. Currently he was really craving some pickles dipped in that peanut butter stuff from Kagome's era. He stared mournfully at the sky, wishing he had some right then. Shippo sat with him, telling him about his latest fox demon exams. He was still furious with him over Kagome, but him being pregnant warranted a little more respect of the fox demon. With his mood swings, he didn't want to upset him whatsoever. Inuyasha rubbed his large bump with one hand as the pup kicked, only partially paying attention to Shippo's story.

"Sounds like those exams are a real drag." The hanyou murmured.

"Well, they're actually pretty fun. It just takes a long time to level up." Shippo replied, looking over at his stomach. "Can I feel?"

"Feel what-? Oh, right. Go ahead." Inuyasha didn't understand why people were so fascinated by his stomach, but whatever. It was their deal, not his.

He was due any day now and was fairly nervous about the whole childbirth thing. Kaede had assured him repeatedly that he would be fine, but the look in her eye said otherwise. Rin had merely nodded in agreement, though her smile had looked too forced which told him that they were merely trying to make him feel better. Yeah, it was gonna hurt. Inuyasha wondered how he would handle the pain as a guy. Women always said how men would drop dead from such pain, and wondered if it held any truth. The thought made him shudder nervously, his puppy ears lowering slightly.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby?" Shippo asked.

"No, I'm fine." He said tersely.

"It doesn't sound like it." The fox replied, smirking. "Anyway, I can't believe it hasn't come out yet cause you're so big. I guess the pup must like it in there."

"Well, it's warm, dark, safe, and it doesn't have to deal with annoying fox demons." Inuyasha said, though he didn't bop him on the head anymore. No, that had stopped awhile ago. "Besides, I know I'm big. I can see that already, thanks."

"You're not fat, if that's what you thought I meant. Don't be so sensitive." Shippo said, huffing. "So do you think it's a boy or a girl? If it's a boy, are you gonna pass down your sword to him?"

Inuyasha hadn't thought about it at all. He didn't care about the gender, honestly. "As long as it's healthy, that's all that counts. And you know what? I might give my sword to my firstborn even if it is a girl."

"But...girls aren't usually warriors, except for Sango and Ayame." Shippo pointed out.

"So?" He snapped. "Maybe gender stereotypes are stupid and unnecessary. I'm a half demon, and demons think we're weak, but I proved 'em wrong. Think about that, Shippo."

"But you're a boy..."

"It doesn't matter, I'm making a point!" He shouted, startling the fox demon.

"Okay, I'm sorry." '_Mood swings again...then again he's always had them though._'

"Anyway, I-!" He was cut off by a deep, aching pain in his back and stomach. Moaning slightly, he realized he was having false contractions again.

"Are you okay? Maybe I should get Kaede." Shippo said, running off before he could stop the kit.

Standing up awkwardly, he dug his hand into his back. "Wait, Shippo! It's not-!" His words were cut off as fluid leaked from an unmentionable place, his face growing flushed as he soaked his kimono. He felt some pressure taken off his back suddenly, only to be replaced by a fresh, agonizing contraction.

'_It's time already...I thought I had another week or so. I'm not ready for this to happen..._'

o

Hours later, Inuyasha laid writhing on the soft futon Kaede had provided him. Rin was busy wiping sweat from his brow, murmuring soft words of comfort. He could faintly hear her, too overwhelmed by the pain to concentrate on anything. When the most recent contraction ended, he let out a huge breath and sat up, grabbing the pan next to him and dry heaved into it. He felt so tired, nauseous, and his pains were so bad he could feel them radiate into even his thighs. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as another agonizing pain started, and he moaned uncontrollably, in too much pain to put on a tough face for the others.

How could such agony exist? He couldn't take it much longer.

"It hurts, damn it...can't I push already?" He rasped, glancing over at Kaede miserably.

"Not yet, child." She said calmly, checking him once again. As unusual as it was, his entrance seemed to be making the necessary changes to accommodate the pup. It definitely felt more stretched than it had hours ago, but not enough for a safe delivery.

"You're doing so well." Rin told him.

Inuyasha wasn't sure what she meant. If she meant doing well at crying, sweating, and moaning loudly then she was right. He arched his back slightly as the next contraction came faster this time, leaving less time to recover from the pain. His scream startled them, and Kaede rubbed comforting circles on his back.

"Breathe, child. Ye need to relax."

He didn't listen, in too much pain to care. After urging him to breathe again, he tried taking a few deep breaths only to end up moaning miserably. His body seemed to tremble as it shifted uncomfortably.

"Help me...please..." He whispered, but the priestess could sense she wasn't speaking to them.

"You're doing fine. Keep breathing, you'll have a healthy pup in no time." Kaede told him, brushing his matted bangs back out of his face.

Shaking his head quickly, he covered his face with his hand as he began unwillingly crying. "I can't take this anymore."

"It won't be much longer." She reassured him.

o

Just as the sun rose, it was nearly over.

"One more push!" Rin encouraged.

Inuyasha let out a piercing scream, digging his chin into his rounded belly as he pushed hard. The pup's head had already passed but the shoulders were stuck at an odd angle. Kaede helped him out by twisting the pup gently and nodded for him to push. Even if he didn't want to, his body made him and all he could do was comply as he pushed, his face flushed and sweaty.

"Ah-!" He gasped, his breath stuck in his throat as the pup finally slipped free into Kaede's waiting hands.

"You did it! It's a girl!" Rin exclaimed happily. "It was a safe delivery."

His throat was raw and scratchy from screaming so much, and although he had hoped to handle the pain better at least he had done it. The pup was here finally and healthy, despite being oddly quiet. Inuyasha had never felt such relief in his life, and hoped that he would never have to do that again.

As soon as his pup was laid on his chest, all thoughts vanished from his mind as he gazed at the tiny, squirming baby. Tears unwillingly formed in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks, but this time they were caused by joy. He held his whimpering daughter closer to him, taking in her scent. Kaede was cleaning the blood off of her and patting her back to clear the fluid out of her throat. She was unusually alert for a newborn, her eyes already open and eerily aware of the world. It creeped Inuyasha out a little and he held her out to whoever would take her. Rin did, cuddling the pup into her arms as she dipped a warm cloth into the water in order to clean her off better. Kaede cleaned him up with a soft smile, and she looked almost proud if he didn't know better.

"Good boy, ye did so well. I'm sure ye want something to eat now." She said.

He nodded tiredly. "Yeah, I am pretty hungry..."

"Push one more time, ye still need to deliver the afterbirth." She commanded quietly.

"What? You mean there's more?" He groaned, sighing as he pushed more gently this time. His nose scrunched in disgust as she pulled it out and disposed of it.

She handed him some thick cloths to wear for the bleeding that would occur for the next week or so, before moving to make him some stew and rice. Rin bundled the baby up tightly in a warm blanket, handing her back to the half demon.

Inuyasha held her a bit awkwardly, but soon found his bearing. "Hey, was that hard on you too?" He asked amusedly, noticing how squished her face looked which made her look permanently discontent.

She was still oddly alert though. The pup seemed to look at him like she couldn't believe she was here, and her wide eyes glanced over at Rin. Was something wrong with her? Inuyasha knew with his bad luck, that there was probably something wrong with his baby. All his life had been a series of hardships and heartbreak, nothing more.

"Wow, she's so...observant." Rin noticed something was odd as well, but tried to remain tactful. "And so beautiful, you must be proud." That she did mean, the baby really was cute.

Her hair was silver, but her eyes were bright blue. Inuyasha knew now that the wolf demon, Kai, was the father. She didn't look anything like a human, or smell like one either, so she couldn't have been the soldier's child. To his relief, she had normal ears. They were pointed and elfin like a full demon's typically were (even though she did have a little human blood in her).

"What shall ye name her?" Kaede asked.

"...I dunno, damn it I should have thought of more names." Inuyasha muttered, sighing a little.

Rin perked up, coming over closer to them. "You know, I know alot of stories about demons and gods and stuff, thanks to Lord Sesshomaru."

"He tells you stories?" Inuyasha couldn't imagine his brother even taking care of her, much less telling the child stories. He supposed she saw a different side of him, because he allowed her to.

"He does, but not often. Anyway, there was a name in one of the stories that I thought was really pretty. It was Tsukuyo, it's the short version of the name of the moon god. And since her hair is silver like the moon, it sort of fits, doesn't it?" She asked, shrugging.

"Tsukuyo...I kinda like it." He murmured. "Yeah, it's nice. Thanks, Rin. I was only thinking of human names, to be honest. Not that there's anything wrong with them, but she's a youkai."

"No problem."

"Before ye eat Inuyasha, try to feed her." Kaede suggested.

"Are you serious? I can't, it's impossible." He said disbelievingly.

"Well so was ye giving birth, but ye did that. At least try, my boy."

Inuyasha cradled the pup towards his chest, lowering his kimono. The baby snuggled deeper into his chest, her pursed little lips latching onto Inuyasha's nipple. Inuyasha's eyes widened in the glow of the nearby fire as the weirdest feeling ever came over him.

No way.

The pup was drinking from his nipple.

No way in hell.

Inuyasha managed not to yell. Instead he let out a strangled noise and rubbed the child's back gently. Unable to believe it, he stared down at the busily suckling mouth on his nipple and shivered at the strange feeling. It was in no way sexual. No, it was just strange.

And painful. "Ow!" The hard ridges of the child's gums closed too tightly on his skin and Inuyasha automatically shifted the girl's weight to his other nipple.

This was...

Rin watched, amazed. She hadn't thought it would be possible either, but somehow it was. Tearing her gaze away finally to give him some privacy, she moved to help Kaede with the food.

Inuyasha shook his head slightly and leaned back against the hut wall. The child in his arms was still suckling. The hanyou looked down when the warm tugging feeling left his chest. The pup had a little trail of milk staining her chin as she curled up tighter, one tiny perfect fist tightening in her blanket and the other pressing against Inuyasha's skin, warm and trembling.

Rin returned with two bowls of stew for them, and they ate in comfortable silence. Once they were done eating, he placed the baby in her makeshift crib and went to go relieve himself. Upon returning, he slid underneath the covers for once, quickly drifting off into a deep sleep.

o

Nearby, Sesshomaru walked at a languid pace towards the human village, intending to visit his ward again.

* * *

_Well, that's all for now! Let me know what you think. Also, thanks to everyone who has added this to their alerts/reviewed so far!  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter 5, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Sesshomaru walked along the dirt path, slipping a hand in his haori to make sure Rin's gift was still there. He continued walking at a leisurely pace, feeling no need to fly into the village. The humans were wary of him as it was, being that he was a full demon unlike his brother. But more than that, they were used to Inuyasha's presence. When they saw him though, it was a different story.

As soon as he entered the village, people began staring and nearly stopped their activities as he passed, unsure of whether to bow or flee to safety. He ignored them, finding Kaede's hut quickly as this wasn't the first time he'd visited Rin.

Before going in, he pressed against the wall instead. A thin brow raised slightly. His eyes widened only a small fraction, shock evident on his typically stoic features. He could smell the scent of a demon newborn, who were apparently female if his nose was correct. The demon lord didn't understand why his brother hadn't reacted and barged outside to fight him yet, and that was then he smelt Inuyasha's blood. He didn't know what was going on, but he didn't like it. Tilting his head slightly, he listened more closely to the conversation going on inside the small hut.

"There is nothing wrong with her, child. She merely possesses psychic potential. It's rare amongst demons, but even demons are sometimes given the gift." Kaede explained.

"Oh, like Lord Sesshomaru's mother. She can heal." Rin piped in.

"The gift? What the hell is that?" He questioned worriedly, still not liking the sound of it.

"Tsukuyo is, as cliché as it sounds, not an ordinary demon. I can tell by reading her aura that she is capable of foretelling, telekinesis, amongst other things." Kaede explained, tending the herbs she was sorting into piles, "It's a gift usually bestowed upon females."

"So that's why she looks so...alert?"

"Not necessarily. Most babies are born sleepy and unable to open their eyes for a time, but some are born quite alert actually. It doesn't have anything to do with her powers." Kaede assured him.

"Oh...I get it." He nodded.

Sesshomaru drew back, raising a brow slightly. Had his brother...given birth? It only made sense. He was bleeding, still smelled of pregnancy, and now there was a newborn baby with no woman in sight that could've been Inuyasha's mate. Kagome had left apparently, because he didn't scent her anywhere nearby.

'_Men cannot bear a child, it's ridiculous. Impossible._' He thought, scowling to hide his confusion.

He entered without permission, his face blank. Rin gasped as he came in, her face lighting up brightly. With a wide smile, she ran up to him. He looked down at her emotionlessly, totally ignoring his brother, as he pulled out a new, beautiful kimono for the girl.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, feeling too sore and tired still to really care that Sesshomaru was here. He supposed he would've felt more embarrassed and humiliated if he didn't feel so exhausted. Instead, he offered him a weak glare and a scowl.

"It's beautiful..." Rin clutched the material to her chest, feeling the silkiness of it delightedly. "Thank you!"

"You are welcome." He said monotonously, before his sharp golden eyes flickered over to the half demon.

Inuyasha picked his daughter up, cradling her protectively to his chest as he eyed the older male warily. Sesshomaru noticed that the half demon seemed different somehow - he seemed like his usual self, and yet not at all. All the anger he had before seemed to be deflated, and now the hanyou just seemed depressed and more docile than he remembered him.

The older male looked at the little girl, observing her too closely for Inuyasha's liking. Still, he said nothing to Sesshomaru's shock. He simply held her more tightly, his eyes widening with what looked like fear.

"You've disgraced our family, but I am not surprised." Sesshomaru murmured, "This child's father is nowhere to be found and she smells part wolf demon as well. You know I detest those creatures. Unless, perhaps you were taken against your will?"

Kaede frowned disapprovingly. "Lord Sesshomaru!" Her tone was stern, but he ignored her.

Inuyasha frowned a little, but otherwise his usual feisty spark seemed to be missing. "I wasn't taken advantage of and I didn't know that I could get pregnant, being a guy and all. If I had known I was a freak too, I wouldn't have been with him. Of course, I wouldn't expect you to show any sympathy."

Sesshomaru tried not to let his anger cloud his judgment. Perhaps his brother had a point. He did not hate him nearly as much as he did when they had first sparred over who was to claim Tetsusaiga a few years back, and this ability of Inuyasha's did seem useful although quite strange. Dog demons were very scarce, and already his own mother had been pressuring him to find a mate now that he had gained more power and taken over the throne from her. However, there was no one he considered suitable enough. They were either too weak or not his type appearance-wise. He was too picky for his own good, which was the reason why he had still not mated with anyone nor engaged in casual sex. For a time, he had fleetingly wondered if waiting for Rin to come of age and mating with her would be a good idea, until he realized that he saw her more as a daughter than anything else.

Still, choosing Inuyasha? Laughable. This was his little brother, and while incest was not necessarily a shameful thing amongst royals, the demon lord himself held no interest in it. He imagined Inuyasha would react worse to such an idea, for the boy was used to living around peasant humans who resided in villages.

To everyone's shock, the demon lord slowly reached out his arms.

Inuyasha's mouth dropped, unable to believe his audacity. Did Sesshomaru really think he was going to hand over his precious girl to him? The guy had another thing coming. Inuyasha growled lowly, wrapping the blanket over the infant more tightly so that he couldn't really see her face.

"No way, bastard." Inuyasha muttered, though it still sounded oddly quiet. Sesshomaru wondered what happened to his brother to make him act this way. He supposed it was because Kagome had left this world, to wherever she was from.

"I will not hurt her." He promised tonelessly.

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Fine. If something happens to the kid, I'm gonna kill you."

Sesshomaru took the child from his arms, and Inuyasha was momentarily amazed by how easily he held her. In fact, he seemed almost natural at it. The demon lord held the pup in one arm, the other coming to unwrap the blanket. He was glad then that he had both arms now. The pup was sleeping, but she stirred a little as he gazed at her. Her silver hair unmistakably showed her heritage and the demon lord mused at how strong dog demon genetics were. They were so strong, that even a hanyou like Inuyasha looked like a demon, except for the fluffy puppy ears (and human facial features due to his mother).

"What is her name?" The words were monotonous and inquiring.

"What's it to you?" The hanyou grumbled.

"It's Tsukuyo." Rin told him, earning a glare from Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru continued observing her, daringly placing a hand upon her soft head. '_Tsukuyo...you are a beautiful child. But strange...are these healing abilities that I sense, or is it something else?_'

"Can you give her back already?" Inuyasha muttered softly, crossing his arms.

The demon lord handed her back, and the pup cried softly as she was moved around. Soon, Inuyasha had her cuddled into his chest, but she continued to cry. The hanyou figured she was hungry since her diaper wasn't smelly and without thinking about his brother, he lowered his kimono and began feeding her.

Sesshomaru almost swallowed at the oddly erotic sight, feeling both disgusted and aroused at the same time.

When the younger male noticed that the ice mask had dropped in favor of what appeared to be shock, Inuyasha quickly covered himself up with a blanket. His face burned form embarrassment as he tried not to stare at the other male.

"Aren't you leaving yet? I mean, you gave Rin her gift so why are you hanging around?" Inuyasha asked.

"Do not be so rude, Inuyasha." Kaede chastised. "He must have come a long way to see her."

"I don't think he's being rude." Rin said, in defense of the hanyou. "Maybe we should talk outside and give him some privacy."

Inuyasha turned to Rin, touched by her kindness. Could she tell he was embarrassed that easily?

Sesshomaru stood up, nodding. "Come along, Rin."

"Yes, my lord!"

Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief as they left, looking down at his pup. Smirking, he touched one of the tiny feet that had managed to escape the blanket that she was loosely wrapped in.

o

Even though he'd given birth yesterday, he wanted to try to walk around a little more. Not just to relieve himself, but to actually go for a walk. Kaede told him it should be fine, as long as he had some support. So for now Miroku was his support, allowing him to slightly lean on him as he stiffly walked to the outskirts of the village.

"You're recovering faster than Sango did, but I suppose that's the demon blood in you." The monk commented, smiling at him.

"I can't believe how much better feel already. I thought that soreness was gonna last longer." The hanyou admitted. "I'm never doing it again though, even I love her."

"Oh, come now. I'm sure you'll want more than one child."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no. Not gonna happen. Once was enough."

"Well, that's the funny thing about the future. You never know what will happen, even if you've planned everything out to the last detail." Miroku said quietly.

Inuyasha swallowed heavily at the wisdom in those words. "Whatever. I still ain't having another pup."

"Sango said the same thing to me after she had our twins." The monk laughed amusedly at the memory. He didn't blame her however - the birth had been difficult and very long.

The two were surprised to see that the demon lord was still near the village, speaking to Rin. As the two approached the other pair, they all paused to look at one another. Sesshomaru noticed in the daylight how different his brother looked. His skin still glowed, his hair was a bit thicker, and he had a little extra weight leftover after giving birth.

He still looked beautiful though.

Sesshomaru nearly narrowed his eyes, mentally slapping himself. He couldn't believe he had just thought that about his own sibling. His half demon sibling, at that. Inuyasha eyed him neutrally, about to turn back around to leave when a voice stopped him.

"Can we speak privately?" The demon lord stepped toward him, resplendent golden eyes looking over at Inuyasha.

"Fine."

Miroku watched them go with concern, unsure of whether he should go back. Rin apparently felt at ease about it, because she was already walking back to the village while merrily singing a song she had made up. Hesitantly, he turned around and went back to his wife and children, heading down the path to their hut.

o

In the forest, the two stared each other down for what seemed like forever. Inuyasha realized he had left his sword behind, making him frown. After too much uncomfortable silence had passed, the half demon folded his arms and gave him a questioning glare.

"So, you gonna kill me or what? I know that's what you want to do." He said gruffly. "You wanna kill me, then you'll probably kill Tsukuyo too just because you feel I've shamed our family. You've had years to finish me off, so just get it over with already."

Sesshomaru nearly smirked. The hanyou was more intelligent than he realized. However, he was only correct about the feeling of dishonor. He had no wish to dispose of his younger brother anymore, much less an innocent child. The demon lord didn't blame the boy for his lowly view of him, after the way he'd treated him up until recently. He hadn't expected anything else.

The demon lord slipped his sheath out of his obi, drawing the sword from it slowly. Inuyasha swallowed nervously, his heart racing like a trapped prisoner against his ribs. Sesshomaru tossed the sword to the side, Bakusaiga lodging deeply into bark.

The younger man looked at the sword with wide eyes, then at the stoic youkai. "I don't get it...this is your chance."

"My chance." The demon lord scoffed, moving closer to the boy. "How ridiculous."

Inuyasha frowned, giving him an incredulous glare. "I thought that's what you wanted all along. Don't act like you've never treated me badly or threatened to end my life, Sesshomaru."

The older male was silent for some time. "True, I might have wanted to do so in the past-!"

"Let me guess, you suddenly want to get on my good side because I can bear pups? That's even lower, cause now you're just using me damn it!" Inuyasha shouted, unsure of why he felt so emotional suddenly. Those damn annoying tears filled his eyes again and he tried to swallow the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "You have no idea how hard it was to have her. Men aren't meant to bear children! Our bodies weren't made for it! I'll be damned if I put myself through that again. Not for you, not for anyone else."

"I know." Sesshomaru admitted quietly, surprising the younger man. "But I am not trying to use you and realize that attempting to do so would be wrong. I also understand that no words can make up for the past, but I still offer you an apology. Forgive me, Inuyasha."

The half demon felt like he was dreaming.

There was no way this was real.

Either that or Sesshomaru had finally lost his marbles. Maybe all his power had gone to his head, along with Inuyasha's ability to carry. Was it secretly important to the demon lord to have an heir of their blood?

"I can't accept your apology and I don't know what you're up to, but I don't like it. You're not getting anything from me, alright?" He folded his arms with an angry glare.

"I understand." Was all he said, nodding.

"Oh, and not to burst your power bubble, but pretty soon all that demon strength ain't gonna matter. Or siring an heir, to be honest. Cause sooner or later, humans are gonna take over and in a few centuries this will all be way different." Inuyasha told him, almost smugly.

"Is that so?"

"That's very so."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, but for some reason he believed Inuyasha's words. "I see. In any case, I think it would be better for you and the child to reside in the Western palace. She can be around other demons like herself, rather than humans."

"But I actually like humans and I'm not leaving!" He protested, though it sounded weaker than usual. "You're not my boss, you're my...hell, I can barely even call you a brother. You're just some haughty stranger who thinks he's better than everyone else. I don't want Tsukuyo to have anything to do with you, got it?"

"Very well, but I just think it would be more beneficial for you both." He said evenly.

"Why the hell do you even care in the first place?" Inuyasha retorted, before losing his footing slightly. His dizziness and fatigue from recently giving birth had caught up to him again, and he fell to his knees and nearly hissed from the pain that still lingered.

Sesshomaru moved to help him stand, but he brushed him off roughly. "I don't...need your help." He panted, but it was clear he was struggling.

The older man ignored the other pride's, pulling him to his feet easily and gently. "You should rest."

"Yeah, thanks. Weirdo..." '_Why does he care all of a sudden? It's freaking me the hell out, I wish he would just leave me alone for once..._'

Sesshomaru turned around, taking a few graceful steps away from him. "Grab on. We're leaving."

"Huh?" Inuyasha looked at him oddly, before noticing the trailing fur that rippled behind Sesshomaru as he flew off. '_Does he actually expect me to grab that? Then again, I can't walk back by myself, I'm not that stupid as to injure myself all because of my pride. Tsukuyo needs me..._'

That was when he realized the baby had already helped him mature, and she wasn't even a week old yet.

The hanyou begrudgingly held onto the fur, nearly gasping at the softness of it. It took all his willpower not to smash his face into the warm fur as they flew back to the village. Sesshomaru landed gracefully in front of Kaede's hut, looking back to see if the hanyou was still there. Inuyasha let go quickly, moving past him without looking at him again.

"Wait, Inuyasha."

'_Damn it._' "Now what do you want?"

This was going to be the hardest thing the demon lord ever had to do. To swallow his pride, to offer...help. Willingly, without anything in return. Being nice had never been his thing, but these were rare circumstances. It wasn't everyday that he found out that he had a niece.

"If you needed help with Tsukuyo, I could offer my assistance." He said monotonously.

Inuyasha blinked several times, unable to process the words for a moment. No luck. He seriously had no luck. Here he was trying to rid of his older brother, and he just would not quit for some reason. Usually all he had to do was fight him or give him something to make him go away, but the bastard was incredibly stubborn today.

"I don't need your help."

"What a predictable answer." Sesshomaru mused, smirking. "I suppose I may have overstepped my boundaries when it comes to _us_, however."

"Damn straight. We ain't close and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't want you around her." Inuyasha said adamantly.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, gleaming gold in the light from the setting sun. "The past has left irreparable scars, it seems. I do not blame you for the way you feel. The fault is mine."

Inuyasha's eyes widened at what sounded eerily like an apology. Sliding a hand under the door flap, he paused to give him an mistrusting look before going inside.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!  
_

_To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

* * *

"The boy has a baby with him?" For once, his mother sounded interested in something. The only other time he had heard her sound so fascinated was when he had brought Rin and Kohaku with him to the palace.

Sesshomaru would've shrugged had it been in his nature. "Yes, apparently he is capable of bearing children. He bore a daughter recently."

His mother looked up. Mizuki's face appeared stoic, but an interested hum escape her anyway. "Well, now isn't that something?" She asked in an eerily light voice.

"You sound intrigued, mother."

She looked over at him blankly. "Of course I am. There are few of us left."

"He has no wish to be involved in our family and I cannot blame him." Sesshomaru said monotonously, sitting gracefully across from her.

"I have never been involved in your affairs with that hanyou and I plan on keeping it that way. He is your little brother, and how you treat him is your business."

Sesshomaru simply stared at her. It was true, she had never involved herself with Inuyasha. The lady of the West didn't even know what his brother looked like, as she had never bothered to go see him or look for him.

"It would be nice to have a grandchild, however..." She murmured, sipping some tea.

Sesshomaru looked at her, deeply disturbed. Since when did she care about children, other than to torment them? It brought up painful memories from his childhood and he brushed those thoughts away as he tore his gaze from hers to look out at the skies surrounding the palace up in the clouds.

"I suppose you want me to find a mate still."

"It would be nice. After all, you are such a spiteful and stubborn child. Always so concerned about power and being better than your father, but what about my wishes? Do you have no respect for your dear mother?" She cried softly, tossing herself dramatically to the side as she falsely sobbed into her sleeve, pulling up a bit to catch his reaction.

Her purple-coated lips smirked a bit as she caught his slightly widened eyes and disgruntled look. As emotionless as he was, it seemed all children were still annoyed by their parents one way or another. Sesshomaru was no different as he looked at her crossly, frowning deeply.

"Must you act like that? I think I prefer your hollow, meaningless words over those false tears." He murmured coldly.

She sniffed lightly, brushing a hand through each ponytail as she sat up straighter. "You really are a spiteful child."

'_Could this be my chance to make amends with my brother after Naraku's defeat? If so, how could I ever convince him that I am not merely attempting to use him for my benefit? There must be a way..._'

o

The baby was beginning to overwhelm Inuyasha a little now that she was two weeks old. At first, it had been endearing and precious to hear her cry. Now that it had been awhile and he'd recovered from the birth, he now felt a bit irritated and stressed. Kaede assured him that this was normal for parents to sometimes feel overwhelmed and even depressed by having a newborn.

Tsukuyo was more work than the hanyou realized. Sure there were the basics - feeding, changing, cuddling, and burping her. That was fairly easy. But the damn crying was working his nerves, not to mention the fear of simply keeping her alive. Was she sick? What if she stopped breathing in her sleep suddenly? Was she too warm and suffering a fever and he didn't realize it?

Letting out a heavy sigh, Inuyasha picked his screaming pup out of her bassinet. She cried and cried, and he didn't know what to do. Her face was red from the exertion, and he buried his nose in the crook of her tiny neck hoping to soothe it. Bouncing her slightly as he hoisted her onto his shoulder, the hanyou began rubbing circles on her back. It seemed to help. Her sobs mellowed out into gasping hiccups, and soon the loudest burp he'd ever heard escaped the tiny babe in his grasp. He laughed, smiling fondly as he set the calm pup down.

"That was a loud burp, little lady. How could a huge noise like that come from something so small?" He mused, kissing her tiny feet. She cooed softly, her little fists stretched over her head. "Good girl, Tsukuyo." He murmured warmly, before looking around suspiciously to see if anyone caught him acting so nice. Luckily, no one else was in Kaede's hut right now.

"It's nice to see ye feeling better, Inuyasha. I think motherhood suits ye." Kaede commented as she came in seconds later with a basket of herbs.

"Ugh. I'm not a mommy, okay?" He sneered. "I'm her...birth father. No way is she gonna call me mom."

"Whatever ye say, child." She replied calmly. "However, ye are her mother technically."

"Don't remind me." He muttered, his ears lowering slightly.

"There is no shame in being a mother." She insisted.

"I know that. But there is shame in being a mom...if you're male. It's just so weird. I still can't believe I was pregnant, much less gave birth to her." He said, taking a tiny hand in his and smoothing a thumb over her baby soft skin. She yawned, opening her eyes a little to smile at him before closing them again.

Inuyasha looked down at his belly, feeling it with his hand. Immediately after giving birth, his stomach had deflated significantly. The firm bump he had was gone. It was relatively flat again already even though he'd only had her a few weeks ago, but he would concern himself with toning up later. For now, he wanted to focus on her and avoiding his bastard of a brother.

It was silent for awhile and Inuyasha thought he might actually have a little peace while was the baby was sleeping, and was about to take a nap, when the young girl barged inside the hut excitedly.

"Guess what, everyone?" Rin beamed, clasping her hands together eagerly. "My lord is here! He wishes to speak to you too Inuyasha."

Inuyasha slapped his hand against his face, sighing loudly as he shook his head. He just had no luck, no luck at all.

"Tell him I'm not interested in having a little chat. I'm gonna go take a bath." He turned to Kaede, meeting her gaze quickly, "Can you watch Tsukuyo for me?"

"Certainly, not a problem."

He stood, heading towards the hot springs. The water was tempting him with its steamy mist and he quickly undressed, hopping into the warm water. It felt nice against his muscles and he let out a content sigh.

Since her birth, he had been nervous about touching himself 'down there'. He worried it was messed up somehow, even though he felt much better. Carefully, he felt around and sighed in relief moments later. Everything felt normal still and not sore to the touch.

He turned around and began washing his hair and body, before resting his head on the bank on top of his folded arms. A certain need stirred within him - it had been even worse when he had been pregnant, where even the simplest of breezes or a smell could turn him on. Groaning slightly, he slid his hand downwards and grasped his swollen, hard member.

Looking around nervously, he swallowed as he suddenly had second thoughts. Maybe he shouldn't do this here. His cock twitched, as though reminding him it still needed his attention, and he sighed heavily. Well, maybe if he was quick...

It felt deliciously nice, nearly making him gasp and shiver at the sensations. Slowly, he slid his hand up and down his cock as he rode out the pleasure. Soon, his excitement overwhelmed him and began pumping faster and with wanton abandon. He came with a louder cry than he intended, his body frozen to the spot as his seed shot out from the sensitive tip in long, white ropes. Panting heavily, he gripped the edge of the hot springs and caught his breath, moaning quietly.

After getting out and drying himself off, he slipped on his fire rat robes and slid his sword through his obi to rest at his side.

Looking around, he sniffed the air to try to see if his brother was around. Sure enough, Sesshomaru was close. Blushing, he wondered if the demon lord had spied on him while he was...taking care of himself. The older male wouldn't stoop so low, would he? Sesshomaru wasn't Miroku, after all.

Inuyasha wasn't sure why he cared so much. So what if his brother saw him? Maybe he'd learned something useful. It didn't seem like the bastard copulated with anyone or pleased himself anyway, what with him being a living, breathing ice statue.

"Sesshomaru?" He called loudly, walking deeper into the forest. It was a beautiful summer day, the sunlight shining in warm rays through the thick canopy of leaves. "I know you're there! So if you wanna talk, then fine I'll talk but make it snappy!"

The demon lord shocked him, appearing to materialize before him almost immediately. "Inuyasha."

"What do you want?" He asked curiously.

It was quiet for a long time, or what felt like a long time. Sesshomaru didn't move an inch, simply staring pensively up at the barely visible sky blocked by the thick, large trees. His golden eyes flickered over to Inuyasha, though his head remained tilted up thoughtfully. Finally, he lowered his head once he seemed to have come up with something suitable, something important to say.

"It is natural for siblings to fight, to hate each other at times, and ignore the other when things do not go as they like." Sesshomaru said quietly, "However, when it comes to it, they will be there."

"..."

"I will admit that I was not always there." He continued, clenching a fist. It was so ridiculously hard to apologize to someone, especially since he didn't know exactly why he was apologizing to begin with, but he swallowed his pride further and added, "I was a terrible brother, and I wanted you here as well."

"What do you mean?"

The demon lord looked at him directly. "You fool, I wanted you here. Do you not understand?"

"Uh..."

"My intention was never to kill you, despite my past threats and fights with you." He murmured, looking anywhere but the hanyou. '_After all, you are my little brother...as much as I used to loathe that fact_.'

"Sesshomaru..." Inuyasha's head was spinning. It was spinning fast, making him feel confused and elated all at once. This was the apology he'd been waiting to hear, but for some strange reason it wasn't satisfying.

The half demon's face hardened suddenly as he collected his thoughts, trying to keep his fury under control. "Keh, bastard! Don't you have the courage to tell the truth? Or do you wanna keep on lying to me?"

"_What?_" He hissed incredulously.

Smirking, the other male folded his arms. "You couldn't care less about me. Had Tsukuyo not been born, I'm pretty sure we'd still be ignoring each other. Think about it. You know that's true."

Sesshomaru frowned, his eyes flickering away from his face. There was nothing he could say. The younger male was correct - had he not known about this ability of his, then he probably would've continued to ignore his existence. They no longer fought, but they were not exactly on friendly terms either.

"I think we're done here. I don't wanna talk anymore." Inuyasha murmured quietly.

"..." Sesshomaru waited a few moments, to make sure the conversation was in fact over. As he began to walk away, Inuyasha blinked at him unseeingly.

The hanyou seemed to change his mind, looking down with clenched fists. "I just don't understand why you didn't put me out of my misery as a child." He said in an eerily empty voice. "Why didn't you kill me then?"

"You were just a pup. I was not going to kill a child." Sesshomaru growled, narrowing his eyes.

Inuyasha raised his head, still looking at him unseeingly. "Then why not when I got older? When I met Kikyo...or when I was an easy target pinned to the sacred tree...or hell, when we first battled over Tetsusaiga. You could've killed me easily, I wasn't as strong back then. So what the hell gives, Sesshomaru?"

"You fool. Do you honestly think I've been sparing your life all this time for your own benefit?" He asked, scowling. Inuyasha's eyes widened at those words, nearly gasping. "I wanted to be judged by another powerful inuyoukai, and if it couldn't be our father, then it had to be you despite your human blood. I needed to test my strength against yours. I could not do that if I had killed you."

"...that's it? You wanted to use me as a punching bag to test your power? You're even more sadistic and unbelievable than I thought!" He shouted, snarling at him.

"That was not the only reason. I wanted to test your strength as well, Inuyasha. And you have grown more powerful because of it." He said monotonously. "You are my little brother. Of course I care, if only a little, about you."

His human side got the better of him, after hearing the words he'd secretly craved from the older man, and he threw himself onto him without thinking encasing him in a warm tight hug. It knocked the breath from Sesshomaru's lungs momentarily, and he stood still with his hands at his sides as the hanyou hugged him. It was a friendly hug, a warm one without any romantic feel to it.

Slowly, the older male brought his arms up to return the warm embrace. Inuyasha smirked into the demon lord's neck, unable to believe he was this close to his brother without fighting him.

"I knew you'd never make the first move." He murmured gruffly, smirking widely. As he pulled back to break the hug, the half demon looked into the other's eyes with an unreadable expression. "Thank you...just...thank you."

"Of course."

"This doesn't mean..." Inuyasha paused, wondering why the hell he was emotional again. Swallowing heavily, he continued, "This doesn't mean I completely forgive you. I don't know if I ever will honestly."

Sesshomaru didn't say anything, he simply handed the half demon a soft cloth. Inuyasha wondered why he was doing that, until he suddenly felt the tears streaming down his cheeks. He hadn't even noticed until now.

Blushing madly, he snatched the cloth more rudely than intended. "Uh, thanks..." He hastily wiped his face, unable to believe he was being so weak in front of his former enemy.

Sesshomaru continued to surprise him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. The younger male turned to face him completely, blinking several times as confusion settled onto his features. A slender hand came to cup Inuyasha's cheek, and the hanyou swore he saw the faintest of smiles and a hint of warmth in his eyes but he couldn't really be sure. It vanished so quickly.

"If you wish to come home, it is your choice. If not, then live well with Tsukuyo. This is goodbye, I presume."

Before he could reply, he was cut off by a screeching voice somewhere nearby.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where you are? Milord?" Jaken shouted.

"I guess this is goodbye." '_I don't wanna live in some prissy palace, and I highly doubt he would want to stay here around humans..._'

Sesshomaru grabbed him by the back of his head suddenly, causing Inuyasha to nearly growl before his eyes widened as he pressed his forehead gently against his own. The hanyou paused, closing his eyes at the intimate, yet comforting gesture.

That was when all the emotions he'd stuffed down desperately all seemed to come out, all the pain from everything he'd dealt with so far pouring out in waves.

'_Not in front of him, damn it. Why does this have to happen now?_' The hanyou thought, gritting his teeth.

His sobs were quiet, but jerked his body roughly as he cried, not caring anymore who was watching. He felt a weight lifted from his shoulders as he continued to cry, sitting there in a flushed, tear-stained heap silently crying until he couldn't anymore.

And the demon lord let him, neither judging nor comforting him.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! I appreciate all the comments/alerts so far! Let me know what you think._

_To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha_

* * *

As far as Inuyasha was concerned, this was surreal. He wasn't sure if reconciling with his brother truly was for the best, but it felt so good to release all that pain even if it meant sobbing like a baby in front of his former enemy. When Sesshomaru reached out a hand, the faintest of warmest looks in his golden eyes, it felt like heaven...at least for now.

Getting up quickly, he sniffled and awkwardly looked to the side as he tried to compose himself. Grunting a little, he straightened up and smirked. "So, I guess that you'll you make fun me now. Call me weak and pathetic, huh?"

"Yes, but only that's because what siblings do." Sesshomaru replied coolly. "But I will not say anything this time. I will not tell anyone about this. You needed it, I presume."

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling sadly. He had definitely needed it.

o

They walked back to the village together in comfortable silence. Inuyasha kept stealing glances at the older man, wondering how their relationship as brothers would go from here. The hanyou remembered what Miroku had told him about the future, how it was uncertain even with laid out plans. Inuyasha didn't have a plan when it came to his brother however. He just wanted to see how it went now. What was actually bothering him, was wondering if Sesshomaru had some kind of plan for him.

Once they stopped in front of Kaede's hut, Inuyasha turned to look at him directly. "Your apology, was it genuine? Or are you up to something?"

"Something?"

"Don't play dumb. You know I can bear pups now, so quit with the clueless act. We both know how smart you are, anyhow." Inuyasha spat, crossing his arms.

"At first, I was intrigued. However, I have no intentions of using you." When he saw the suspicious look on his brother's face, he added calmly, "Rest assured my apology was sincere."

"Whatever." The hanyou scoffed, eyeing him skeptically.

Inuyasha went inside, picking his daughter up and holding her against his chest. He ended up laying down on his back, with her cuddled on his chest still. To his shock, Sesshomaru stepped inside moments later. The demon lord knelt down, pulling out a small sack of gold coins. He dropped it next to the hanyou before standing up.

"Money? What's this about?" Inuyasha questioned, glancing at the bag then his brother.

"It's for Tsukuyo, to buy more things for her. I should think you would want more clothing and items for the child." Sesshomaru murmured quietly.

Inuyasha smiled a bit, rubbing his daughter's hair fondly. "Thanks, but keep the money. I got this."

"Take it, stubborn fool."

"Fine." He grumbled, placing the bag securely into his haori.

As the half demon watched Sesshomaru leave, a weird lingering feeling made him sit up carefully with his baby girl in his protective grip. "Wait! Hey, wait a minute!"

"Hn?"

"Don't forget your stupid sword." Inuyasha reminded him with a smirk.

"Of course."

Placing the baby in her basinet, he stood up slowly with an uncertain look. Rin was looking over at them curiously. In order to have some privacy, the hanyou suddenly walked outside and Sesshomaru followed him, as he intended to leave anyway.

The half demon sighed, looking towards the ground as he bit his lip. He appeared as though he really didn't want to say what he wanted to, but he went for it anyway.

"Look. I just...if I came back to the palace with you, could you guarantee that Tsukuyo would have a half-way decent childhood?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"Yes...but why do you ask, brother?"

"I thought about what you said, about her living around humans. Maybe it's not for the best. The village kids would tease her for being different, just like they sort of already do with Shippo and even myself." He explained, shrugging.

"What are you saying, Inuyasha? That you will come home?" Sesshomaru couldn't believe what he was hearing, but his face remained stoic.

"Yeah...I mean, I like the village and all but it reminds me so much of Kagome. There's too many bad memories here." Inuyasha paused, snorting amusedly, "Of course, there's alot of bad memories with you too, but I'm kinda willing to overlook it if it means my daughter can grow up well." '_And maybe we can actually act like brothers. We might even get along, kind of._'

o

The following day, Inuyasha packed up what little items he owned and slung Tsukuyo onto his back for the time being. He made sure she was secure in the cotton sling on his back and that she wouldn't fall out accidentally. Once he was certain, he turned to his brother who was patiently waiting for him. Rin waved goodbye as they left, deciding that she still wanted to stay in the village until she was a little older. Truthfully, she did enjoy being around other humans even though she missed the demon lord.

"Come back to see me soon please!" She shouted as they left.

Sesshomaru merely nodded before continuing along the path that led out of the village. Inuyasha was right behind him, checking every so often to make sure his baby was alright. She was sleeping peacefully, her little fists curled up onto his back as they walked. The hanyou was pleasantly surprised that his brother was going at such a languid, slow pace just for the sake of the little girl. Flying or running would've upset her too much, and somehow his older brother knew this without him having to tell him anything.

'_He's still an asshole, but he's not as bad I thought either._' The hanyou looked at the tall figure in front of him, his silver hair gleaming in the sunlight like threads of ice.

Then the demon lord asked a question he hadn't expected, though it did linger on his own mind every now and then.

"Are you going to tell the father about this?"

Inuyasha's ears lowered, and he shrugged feebly. "I dunno. I want to, but he'd probably be pissed that I waited this long to tell him about her."

"That is true, but it is the honorable thing to tell him." The demon lord murmured.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. Was he honestly trying to tell him what to do? The hanyou folded his arms, snorting rudely.

"Keh! If I wanna tell him, it's gonna be of my own volition. Not cause you told me to!" He shouted, giving him a funny look.

"Very well. It was merely a suggestion."

Rolling his eyes, the hanyou walked up to stand by his side. "Sometimes suggestions aren't necessary. Sometimes you gotta let people have their own mind."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened a little, unmoving as his brother continued walking down the road quickly. Indeed, the half demon was more intelligent than he let on. It had never crossed his mind that he was subtly controlling, but now the realization was right in front of him and he could see it clearly.

"Although, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him. I'll take your advice this time, but don't expect that this'll be a regular thing so don't get any ideas about telling me what to do. Got it?" He asked, looking back at him seriously.

"Hn." He nodded, continuing down the path.

o

Birds chirped loudly as they danced along the branches above them. The sound of a waterfall crashing into a small lake could be heard nearby. Morning dew was still dripping off the leaves a bit as they stood at the base of the mountain, looking upwards at where the wolves resided in the dens above.

The half demon nervously clutched his daughter in his arms. On their way to the palace, they made a detour at a wolf den. Not just any wolf caves, they just had to be the caves that belonged to his frenemy. Inuyasha's eyebrow was twitching as he realized he had rutted with a wolf that belonged to Ayame's tribe. And that tribe happened to merge with Kouga's after they had gotten married.

Great, just great. Inuyasha sighed, officially sure the universe hated him now. '_Why do I always make such bad decisions? My poor kid..._' He thought, looking down at his sleeping pup.

A familiar scent caught his attention and soon enough a black-haired wolf landed gracefully on a boulder nearby. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both whipped their heads at the sudden movement, looking up at the smirking wolf leader.

"Hey." He greeted casually, waving. "What brings you here to the Northern mountains, pup?"

Inuyasha frowned, walking closer to him with narrowed eyes. "Don't think I'm here for a friendly visit. I was wondering...is there someone named Kai around here? I can scent him."

"What business is it of yours?" Kouga asked, though not rudely. He sounded bored and proceeded to nonchalantly pick at his ear with one hand.

That was when the scent of the baby made it all too clear why Inuyasha was here. His blue eyes widened hugely and he leapt down to land directly in front of him. He sniffed at the bundle, causing Inuyasha to step back. Sesshomaru stood in front of the hanyou slightly, his eyes flashing red.

"That kid's part wolf demon!" He exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha smirked. "Good nose you got there, wolf boy." He muttered sarcastically.

Kouga's face scrunched with confusion, ignoring the other's snarky comment. "She also smells like a dog demon and a little bit human, which means she's yours...oh man, she's Kai's kid too isn't she? How the hell is that possible? You guys are both...well, males."

"Whatever. I'm getting nowhere with you. I'll find him myself." Inuyasha said agitatedly. He was worried that the dense wolf had learned too much already and would taunt him for it mercilessly.

"But you're both _guys_! It doesn't make any damn sense." Kouga shouted, though it seemed he were speaking more to himself as he spun around and pensively cupped his chin as he shook his head.

"I know it's weird, but I had her...I mean, I gave birth to...oh hell, just shut up and show me where he is!" Inuyasha yelled, his face burning from embarrassment.

To his surprise, Kouga looked at him with what looked oddly like sympathy. He seemed to suck his breath through his teeth, shaking his head slowly. "Ah man, pup. You really got knocked up by one of these wolves? Hopefully, not from my tribe."

"Nope, don't worry about that."

"I'm sorry about the whole baby thing. I guess since guys aren't prepared for something like that, it must've been pretty hard." Kouga muttered, looking down at the pup that was now looking up at him.

He noticed she had blue eyes like him, making him grin a little.

Inuyasha smirked at the unexpected kindness, and was suddenly glad they weren't fighting over Kagome anymore. The wolf wasn't such a bad friend - certainly had a better personality than most, he thought as he glared over at Sesshomaru who stood there watching them with a blank look. Inuyasha could see another subtle emotion behind those golden eyes though. It almost looked like jealousy or...anger.

"Yeah, it was hard." Inuyasha said, sighing a little, "But I'm feeling better and she was healthy so that was a relief. Her name's Tsukuyo."

"Tsukuyo, huh?" Kouga repeated gruffly. "She's beautiful, I gotta admit. I didn't think something so cute could have a mother like you."

"What's that supposed to mean? You calling me ugly? Well look who's talking!" The hanyou barked furiously.

"Relax, I was kidding. Sort of." Kouga said, shrugging.

"Well if you two are quite finished, perhaps you should find Kai then." Sesshomaru murmured quietly, his edgy tone making them both look at him with widened eyes.

"Okay..." Inuyasha mumbled, raising a brow. '_What's his deal?_'

"He doesn't like our kind." Kouga said suddenly, as though reading the half demon's mind. "I don't blame him I guess."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, looking between them. "Do you guys have a bad history together or something?"

"Or something." Sesshomaru agreed icily, narrowing his eyes at the blue-eyed wolf.

Kouga ignored him, turning to Inuyasha. "I'll show you where he is." He said more quietly, glaring at Sesshomaru out the corner of his eye as he grabbed one of the hanyou's arms.

"Do not touch him." Sesshomaru warned, throwing Kouga's arm off easily.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he gave him a disbelieving glance. "Take it easy, geez. He's just trying to help. What's crawled up your ass and died today?" He paused, covering a cheek as his face lit up with false realization, "Oh wait, that's everyday. I forgot it's stuck up there."

Kouga chuckled loudly, turning to lead him the right way. Inuyasha followed after him, smirking amusedly at the subtly furious expression on his brother's face.

o

When they arrived at Kai's personal den, Inuyasha swallowed nervously. Kouga placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, before leaving them alone. The hanyou pulled back the fur that was used as a door, ducking inside and straightening up when he saw the other male.

"Hanyou? Back for some more fun I se-!" He paused, his eyes focusing in on the bundle in the half demon's arms.

"Uh...okay, well this is really awkward." A nervous laugh erupted from him. "First, hey. Second, this is your...um...daughter."

"Mine?" Kai's eyes widened.

"Yeah, she's yours."

The other man stood up, scoffing rudely and waved him off. "Oh, please half breed. You don't know she's mine. How many others have you slept with?"

"She is yours. The kid's got your eyes and scent." Inuyasha growled, feeling angry but oddly out-of-place. He'd hoped for a better reaction, but in his heart he knew this would happen.

"I don't care. I don't want her and I will not claim responsibility. The brat's yours to deal with." Kai spat, turning away from him slightly.

Inuyasha could see this wouldn't end well if they continued to argue, and the wolf's tone had an air of stubborn finality, so he turned and left with a burning anger in his stomach. He held up a hand, noticing he was so upset his hands were shaking. He hadn't felt rage like this in some time.

"It's fine, we don't need him anyway." He told his daughter, smiling at her though his unshed tears. His golden eyes glimmered, but he refused to let any tears fall over that guy. "We'll be fine, Tsuki. Cause you've got me and your uncle, who is pretty damn powerful even though I hate to admit it."

She gurgled happily, looking around at the caves as they went outside.

Looking down at her fondly, he smirked a little. "That's right, it's me and you. I'm gonna take care of you like my mother did for me, and let me tell you she was a great mother. She would have loved you if she could've lived as long as demons...and she would have spoiled you rotten." Swallowing the lump in his throat, his smirk widened. "Yeah, she would've been proud of you. And I didn't know my old man, but I think he would've loved you too Tsukuyo."

She yawned, her eyes fluttering closed as he rocked her slightly. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he quickly tied her onto his back.

"Let's go find your uncle, huh?"

o

He found Sesshomaru waiting for them at the bottom of the mountains, arms folded and he looked elegant even sitting on a rock. Inuyasha was glad that the older male had left Jaken and his dragon behind at the palace, because he really didn't want to have to listen to the imp's whining and blabbering the entire trip.

Sesshomaru looked pensive, appearing to not notice the half demon at first even though he knew he could scent him. Inuyasha walked up to him, awkwardly standing there as he waited for the demon lord to acknowledge him.

"I presume it did not go well?"

"No...but who cares? I don't want him in my daughter's life anyway." Inuyasha replied gruffly.

"You do not need one such as him. He is scum and unable to care for his responsibilities, and has no respect for the mother of his child for that matter." Sesshomaru said, and the other looked up at though he were an illusion.

"...thanks." Inuyasha said, not commenting on how that might've been the first reassuring thing his brother had ever said to him in his life.

o

When they arrived at the palace, there were two things Inuyasha hadn't expected. One was that the palace actually floated, quite literally, above the clouds. He wasn't sure if he liked that fact or not. It was a gorgeous palace, with golden stairs leading up to the outside platform, but still the fact remained that it wasn't even on the ground. The other was that Sesshomaru's mother was still alive. His brother hadn't mentioned a single thing about his mom, not on their way there or in the past.

Mizuki rose from her throne, offering them an empty smile. "Hello, Sesshomaru. Back so soon?" Her eyes focused on Inuyasha and the baby slung onto his back finally. "Oh my, what's this? A hanyou and a little pup? Could this be Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, that's me." He murmured casually.

Sesshomaru's mother was frighteningly beautiful. Her golden eyes narrowed calculatingly as they walked closer. Her eyes traveled his form up and down, a tiny smirk playing at her lips.

"He's surprisingly pretty for a hanyou, but a bit portly." She commented, eyeing his midsection as she clasped her hands together loosely at her waist.

Anger seared through him and he scoffed, "I just had a baby. Give me a break, will you?!"

"Forgive me." Her apology didn't sound sincere though, making him roll his eyes and mutter incoherently about rude people and their lack of tact.

"Mother, you should know that Inuyasha and Tsukuyo are going to stay here." Sesshomaru told her quietly.

"Tsukuyo?" Her eyes blinked curiously, and Inuyasha turned slightly so she could see the tiny pup bundled to his back. Her blue eyes opened a little and she stared directly at the female dog demon, whimpering softly. "What a beautiful pup."

"Thanks." He muttered, blushing as he avoided her blank eyes, so devoid of emotion it was almost eerie. She was definitely more cold than the demon lord, if such a thing were possible at all.

The baby suddenly starting crying loudly, thrashing a little in her confines. Inuyasha worriedly looked behind him, then at Sesshomaru. "Say, you got a room I can change her diaper in? She smells."

"Come along." Sesshomaru said, gesturing for him to follow. "I will give you a room of your own, that connects closely with a smaller one that can be used as her nursery."

"Oh...thanks." Inuyasha couldn't think of anything else to say, touched by how much effort his brother seemed to be putting in to make him comfortable in new surroundings.

o

Boredom.

He couldn't stand it any longer.

Inuyasha had only been in the palace for a few hours but he was already about ready to let out a heavy sigh and roll over to go to sleep. It wasn't even dinnertime, but there wasn't much to do, so he figured he would take a nap while Tsukuyo slept.

Rubbing the silky golden sheets that rested on the large futon, the hanyou couldn't help but marvel at the soft material. This was almost as nice as sleeping in one of Kagome's modern era beds. He was about to slip under the covers, when he heard the door slide open. Sesshomaru walked into his room without permission, heading towards his bed. Inuyasha watched him warily, eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced at the other man. The demon lord stood there silently for a few moments as though not sure what to say. It left the atmosphere slightly awkward to say the least.

"You have something to say or what? If not, I'm gonna get some sleep." Inuyasha told him.

"I just wanted to tell you that dinner will be served to you, because my mother and I rarely eat so no one is usually in the dining hall. However, I assume you eat quite often." Sesshomaru said quietly.

"You guys don't eat?" The half demon had a look of disbelief etched on his face.

"Rarely. Full demons as powerful as we are do not require much sustenance or rest." The older male smirked, and added almost apologetically, "I suppose you think I'm bragging."

"Yeah, kind of. It's fine though. Anyway, thanks for telling me." Inuyasha replied, getting underneath the covers and rested his head on the pillow with a content grin.

He suddenly felt an odd, awkward patting on his legs after closing his eyes. Scrunching them with confusion, he opened his eyes again and stared curiously at the stoic demon lord.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, raising a brow slowly.

"I assumed that this is what would be considered a 'comforting' gesture." The older male replied, blinking coolly.

Inuyasha smirked, shrugging. "Yeah, it is I guess. Instead of being comforting though...it's still a little creepy."

"Too soon?"

"Way too soon."

"I understand." Sesshomaru stood, looking over to the door that connected to Tsukuyo's room. "Do you want me to send a servant to check on her?"

"No, I just did. She's fine for now." The hanyou told him, before begrudgingly adding, "And, uh, thanks for...you know...well you know."

"You are welcome."

After the demon lord left, Inuyasha allowed himself to grin more genuinely. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad after all. Knowing his luck however, it was probably only a matter of time before things went wrong again.

* * *

_That's it for now. I apologize if it wasn't good, but I got hit with writer's block...as usual lol. I hope to continue soon, but I don't want to rush this story either. Also, thanks for all the fantastic reviews and those who added this to their alerts! _

_To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

_Warning: Yaoi/mpreg/lime scene._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! _

* * *

Sesshomaru looked out over the Western lands, his eyes narrowing slightly. Currently, he was standing on the platform outside, where the gold stairs descended all the way down to the grounds below. It was a beautiful day, without a cloud in sight. The late summer breeze felt nice and made the intense heat slightly more tolerable.

His mother had one of the servants bring her the baby while Inuyasha exercised in an attempt to get back into shape. So far, it was going well, and he found he was even a bit more muscular due to the training Mizuki's advisor had been helping him do.

Shiro was an elderly demon, but showed no traces of his age. His body was very muscular, but not frighteningly so. One jagged violet stripe ran along his cheeks and he wore his silver hair up into a tight ponytail. He was a distant cousin of the late Inu no Taisho and was a full-fledged dog demon. This came as a shock to Inuyasha, and had caused him to nearly yell at Sesshomaru for not telling him anything about their family. Not only had he not known about the demon's lords mother, but now another male was apparently apart of their bloodline. Sesshomaru hadn't blinked an eye, telling him that such information was not very important. Needless to say, it had left Inuyasha pissed for the past month or so after first meeting him when Shiro returned to the palace from a trip.

"Stupid...bastard!" Inuyasha grunted, punching the heavy wooden post in front of him. His knuckles were bright red, nearly bleeding.

Shiro laughed, a long and almost condescending one. "Well pup, what do you expect? He's like his mother, cold and secretive. You can't stay mad at him for this long."

"Oh, yeah? Watch me!" Inuyasha spat, spinning around and giving the post a hard roundhouse kick that nearly made it crack and fall over.

The wood splintered down the middle slightly as Inuyasha stepped back panting. He placed his hands on his hips, looking down contemplatively.

Shiro's golden eyes sparkled amusedly. "What's on your mind, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked over at the older male. "You seem so different from those two. You know, Sesshomaru and his mom. Unlike them, you seem pretty damn...normal."

Shiro laughed heartily, shrugging. "Well, I suppose that's because I come from Touga's side of the bloodline. You see, I've been spending most of my life on the mainland. I have only recently returned again, which is why I did not know about you. If I had, I might have taken you in young one. I'm not related to Lady Mizuki. Their side believes that they are so superior. I told your father not to mate with her, but of course he didn't listen. It's no wonder he two-timed her behind her back with that hu-!" Golden eyes flickered over to the small hanyou, who blinked curiously.

"I guess you must secretly hate me." Inuyasha said suddenly, kicking at some rocks idly.

Shiro narrowed his eyes incredulously. "Of course not. I have nothing against half demons or mortals. I'm not mad at you either. What reason would I have?"

"...my old man died saving me and all...so...there's that." Inuyasha mumbled, not looking the other male in the eyes.

Shiro grinned, shaking his head. "He died saving you two. It was an honorable death and you were a newborn, so you couldn't possibly be at fault."

"I know...still..." Inuyasha didn't bother to mention how many times Sesshomaru had made him feel terrible about that fact.

o

The servants were relaxed, playful and tossing insults back and forth as they went about their duties. The man whose duty it was to sweep the floors, was bellowing a terrible rendition of an ancient love song. The two stoic dog demons were still on the platform, and Sesshomaru hadn't yet moved from his spot near the edge. From here, he could easily see Shiro and Inuyasha down below. He glared out over the horizon, before focused that heated gaze on the pair training on the grounds.

Mizuki fussed delightedly over the baby, cooing at the adorable pup in her lap. Tsukuyo was two months now and was still quite fragile. She could lift her head on her own, but still needed careful support. The child couldn't quite sit up or crawl yet either and was still very tiny. She did seem a little more aware of her surroundings though, able to hold eye contact better and she was starting to smile more and coo and make various odd noises that sounded like gurgling.

Sesshomaru found the brat annoying. She was a calm enough baby, not too fussy or loud, but he didn't care for her. Children he could handle and care for, but babies and toddlers were far too irritating in his mind. Narrowing his eyes, he looked behind his shoulder discreetly as the baby began whimpering.

"Oh, don't cry little one." Mizuki cooed, making a kissy face at the little girl. The baby stopped fussing, blinking up at her curiously as she reached out for her mouth.

Pain shot through Sesshomaru suddenly and he gritted his teeth. It wasn't all that painful really, it was more of an ache. A particular kind of ache, one that he didn't enjoy feeling. This sensation always made him unable to hold his composure and almost needy. It was disgusting.

He'd been feeling this pain ever since Inuyasha had come back home with him, and worsened when Shiro had come back a month after them. He knew what his pathetic body wanted, but he had promised his brother that they would never mate nor would he try to sire pups with the hanyou.

But this feeling...

Sesshomaru had never realized it, perhaps selective memory or just he hadn't cared at all, but Inuyasha was actually very attractive. It was odd to admit to himself, but it was true. The boy looked alot like his mother, who had been exalted for her beauty and had been pursued by countless suitors (including their own father). The only difference between Izayoi and him was the demon coloring and those ears.

But a hanyou, no matter how attractive, was just a filthy half breed in most people's eyes.

"Could you fetch the boy? This precious girl is hungry, I believe."

"You do realize that she is not your granddaughter? You two are not related." Sesshomaru said, yet again.

"I know, but I consider her my grandchild anyhow, seeing as how I most likely will not be getting any from you." Mizuki said condescendingly, giving him a little dramatic pout.

Sesshomaru growled lowly, irritated beyond belief. He scoffed lightly under his breath. A few months with the kid, and already his mother had gotten used to having her in her lap.

Really, his mother was an enigma. Cold-hearted, yet overly dramatic. It was an odd, irritating combination and Sesshomaru realized her parenting might have resulted in many of his current emotional issues. But he would worry about that another time.

o

At dinner, Sesshomaru joined him in his room for once. Inuyasha sat cooing at Tsukuyo, not caring anymore how it made him look. He'd been here too long now to care. Sesshomaru watched him eat, then glanced at the baby, and back at him.

"How did training go?" The demon lord asked coldly, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"It went pretty good."

"Well, it went well."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha smirked. "Whatever."

"Did Shiro say anything to you about me?"

Inuyasha nearly dropped his chopsticks, eyeing him warily. "I'm not one for gossip, but no, he didn't say anything. Why?"

"No reason."

"You don't like him?" Inuyasha guessed.

"I could care less about that old fool. It is merely...he is a loudmouth, that's all."

"I am too. I like him." Inuyasha said simply, shrugging.

The silence would've been awkward, but Tsukuyo chose that moment to gurgle very loudly and adorably. She waved her little arms around, kicking her feet at the air. Inuyasha warmly grinned at her, leaning down to plant a kiss on one chubby cheek.

"You want attention? You're so funny..." Inuyasha cupped her head and stroked her silver hair softly, "I love you."

Sesshomaru blinked incredulously at how easily and warmly he'd spoken those words. As he watched the hanyou put her down for bed, he couldn't help but ask the burning question that lingered.

"How do you say such things so flippantly?"

Inuyasha looked at him with narrowed eyes, an annoyed scowl marring his face. "Look, I wouldn't expect an unfeeling bastard to understand the concept of love or affection. When you have a kid, you'll understand. It's a love that's just...I don't know, unreal almost. Like I love her so much it's pretty stupid actually. It's almost painful...I don't think I love anyone else like I love my child."

Sesshomaru nodded his understanding, looking over towards her crib. "Would you have another?"

"Maybe. I've thought about it, now that I've recovered and gotten my body back...well, sort of. Not that it matters much to me. Looks don't matter when you're a half breed...or just, different."

Sesshomaru looked up, frowning. He knew what he wanted to say, but withheld any compliments he had for his brother. He would not use this self-pity session as a segue to hit on him. Sesshomaru wanted to wait until the half demon felt more comfortable around him.

He didn't want to be the typical man that listened to his body, not his mind. If his listened to his body...he was afraid he'd lose control of himself. Sesshomaru hadn't yet bedded anyone and he felt strongly for the other male, but logically he knew Inuyasha held no interest in an incestuous relationship.

That was when the half demon shocked him. "You're quiet, even for you. I take that as a sign you do think I'm unattractive?"

"I do not like when others fish for compliments. It's pathetic."

"Fair enough..." Inuyasha muttered, smirking. "It's weird anyway, I shouldn't have said anything. I mean we're brothers, of course we don't find each other attractive."

"I do."

The cold, awkwardly spoken words made the hanyou turn around a little to face him directly. "What's that?"

"Well, you are." Sesshomaru said vaguely. "Enough of this talk. Dog demons are prideful, we do not dwell on our weaknesses."

"I'm half human, you know. I think you keep forgetting that." Inuyasha mumbled, glaring at him crossly.

It became tense suddenly as the two glared each other down. The demon lord looked away finally, taking a couple steps towards the door.

"Perhaps I like to forget."

"Keh, bastard! Even after all that time taking care of Rin and Kohaku, you still hate humans?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

Sesshomaru lightly scoffed, surprising him. "I do not hate them anymore necessarily...I would call it indifference."

"Yeah, well she must be really special. I can tell you care about her." Inuyasha said vaguely, but the other male knew exactly who he was talking about.

"She is not like the others."

"I felt the same way about Kagome." Inuyasha replied casually with a shrug.

Sesshomaru wasn't sure why that comment suddenly put him in a vindictive mood - perhaps it was because even now, the hanyou continued to talk about her or perhaps he was secretly jealous that the priestess still had such a hold on his mind. He truly had loved her.

"Stop that." The demon lord murmured tonelessly.

"What?"

"I do not want to hear anything more about Kagome. She is gone. I presume that she left you, not the other way around?" He realized he was being catty, but he was irrationally annoyed by the mention of her name.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, snorting amusedly. "Really? This is how you do things? You play mind games? I think you oughta shut up and fight me like a man if you got such a problem with me missing her. I loved her, okay? She changed my entire life."

"Yes, but she is gone now. So quit that pathetic simpering of yours." Sesshomaru snarled. "And I do not need to play mind games, because my power is more than sufficient to silence anyone who dares step to me."

Inuyasha huffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, yeah?" The hanyou asked, moving over to the corner of the room where his sword rested, drawing it slowly from its sheath with an arrogant look in his eyes. "Prove it."

Something primal snapped within him and irrational anger boiled throughout his veins. It didn't help that he was both sexually repressed and frustrated, and that cocky look on Inuyasha's face severed any impeccable self-control that he had left inside.

"Foolish half demon."

Inuyasha scoffed, glaring at him pointedly. "Oh, so now it's back to being called that again? I knew it, I knew you hadn't changed that much."

A look almost akin to smugness appeared on the older man's face. "I could say the same thing..." Green poison whips shot out, nearly slicing the hanyou's arms, "...to you."

"Damn you!" Inuyasha growled, barreling into him roughly, nearly knocking the breath from the demon lord's lungs as he was knocked back into the hallway and almost hit the wall. Tetsusaiga was swung at him, narrowly missing his neck.

Sesshomaru ducked, before rising and punching the hanyou to the point where he was sure a tooth had cracked. Spitting out blood, Inuyasha wiped his mouth and bared his fangs as he growled loudly.

"You truly think you can best me?"

Rolling his eyes, the hanyou nodded. "I've been through labor and delivery, okay? This is child's play compared to that!" The hanyou spat, flipping backwards until he was safe distance away, swinging his sword back.

Sesshomaru hissed dangerously, before suddenly glancing to the side and bolting away from him which left the half demon dumbfounded. Inuyasha turned his head in the direction he'd fled in, blinking his eyes several times.

"What the hell...?" The hanyou ran after him, quickly realizing that Sesshomaru wasn't running away.

He just didn't want to fight inside, as it would undoubtedly damage the palace.

As soon as they both met back up on the grass below, they both swung their swords back. Sesshomaru smirked, swiping the thin blade. Inuyasha barely evaded Bakusagia's powerful energy, panting as he rolled several times before coming to a stop.

"Wind Scar!"

"Predicata-!" Sesshomaru's eyes widened as the hanyou darted around him one side and swung again quickly.

He grunted loudly as his sword turned to adamant, shards flying out of the sword towards him. Sesshomaru growled as he realized there were two attacks coming at him all too quickly, and he could only avoid one even with his speed.

Flying up, he easily got out of Wind Scar's path but growled as diamonds shards scraped his skin and embedded themselves into his body. He was bleeding quite badly, but not heavily enough to care.

"You've been working on adamant barrage's speed I see." Sesshomaru commented, raising a brow. "It is not enough however."

"Try me."

Sesshomaru disappeared so fast it made the hanyou's heart leap up into his throat and before he could move, a harsh punch to his back sent him flying forward and smashing heavily into the dirt. He gasped, getting up quickly as he sensed Bakusaiga's demonic energy moving towards him, threatening to rip his body up into pieces.

'_Is he seriously trying to kill me? This was just supposed to be a fight!_' He thought, hastily leaping up and narrowly missing the unrelenting green energy from Bakusagia. He knew if the energy even touched just his feet that the attack wouldn't stop until he was ripped up completely. That was the frightening, powerful nature of Sesshomaru's sword.

"This has to stop! I'm a parent and my kid needs me, alright?!" Inuyasha yelled, taking several steps back as he panted heavily.

"You give up?"

"No, I could still kick your ass, but you're really trying to kill me. You do hate me." Inuyasha realized, feeling the odd urge to laugh or hell, to scream or punch something. "You hate me...just admit it. Admit it and this can all finally be over."

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth, mulling over those words. Perhaps he truly did hate him. It was complicated, to say the least. He had been viciously attacking him, but it hadn't crossed his mind in his enraged state that Inuyasha might die.

The brat was just so...irritating. His pristine self-control was all but shattered when in his presence. It could easily be love, or passion, or maybe it really was a true burning hatred towards him. As the demon lord glanced over at the younger man again, he snarled as he realized the idiot was still talking.

Those stupid, full pink lips kept speaking, those golden eyes framed by impossibly thick eyelashes were comically and yet frighteningly wide with rage and those stupid ears...they flickered in the most endearing manner, making it somewhat difficult to take the hanyou seriously.

"Shut up, Inuyasha."

The hanyou did to his surprise, blinking several times as he calmed down. "You gonna admit it finally? Say it! Say you hate me!"

"We are not good at this." Sesshomaru said quietly, "Being in each other's presence." Those words held deliberate ambiguity and were laced with an ugly, vicious subtext designed to bruise.

An eyebrow arched, in the manner of someone being disarmed by a staggering understatement.

"No." The half demon agreed.

"We are going to have to get better at it." Sesshomaru said, to the other's surprise.

A beat, then Inuyasha nodded. "Okay, sure. Whatever."

It was painfully silent for several moments, and Inuyasha could just feel Sesshomaru's gaze burning into his skull but he refused to meet his gaze now. It was so quiet that the half demon could hear the rapid, angry heartbeat of the demon lord. He looked up uncertainly at the other male and froze at the look in his brother's eyes. Such anger lit up those resplendent orbs. Rage was etched onto his handsome features. Sharp, narrow eyes narrowed even further when he finally looked up at him. Inuyasha rubbed at his shoulder nervously, moving to go past him when a strong arm kept him from going anywhere.

To his utter shock, despite the rage and cool countenance, a slightly trembling pale hand came to rest on the hanyou's shoulder. Inuyasha swallowed thickly, looking at him confusedly. Suddenly, the demon lord pulled back and straightened up, looking directly at him.

"I will not."

Inuyasha scrunched his nose as he eyed him incredulously. "You won't do what?"

Sesshomaru's feet suddenly animated him, and he pushed the hanyou back roughly against a tree in a searing, but gentle kiss. They broke apart swiftly and the demon lord looked to the side as though ashamed, though no emotion were visible on his features.

"Okay...um...so that actually happened." Inuyasha said, breathing out. He tried to feel disgusted, waiting for a wave of nausea and horror to overwhelm him. It never came, at least not as powerfully as he'd hoped. He did feel a little bile rising in the back of his throat, but it was overshadowed by something else.

His body was responding fast. Inuyasha swallowed, looking up with wide eyes as he felt his body grow warm with that stupid need he'd felt months before. His manhood was swelling quickly, leaving him very unable to think like a rational being.

And so, long tanned fingers gripped at Sesshomaru's face, pulling him back in for a deep kiss. Not so much because he was enjoying it, but because Inuyasha needed to back sure he wasn't going insane. He needed to make sure that he was okay with this, whatever the hell this was that was happening between him and his goddamn brother of all people. The more they lingered close together, exploring each other's mouths hastily, the more attractive the bastard became to him. A surprised noise escaped the hanyou as the full demon slipped his tongue fully inside. Inuyasha pulled back, making a odd noise that sounded almost like laughter. It had brought him back to reality, needless to say.

"Whoa...okay." Inuyasha raised a hand, looking towards the ground. "This is so _wrong_. I...what the hell are we doing?"

"No more speaking." Sesshomaru commanded, sending a chill of anger through him and yet a jolt of lust through his hard member.

"Are you seriou-?"

Pushing up against him roughly, he removed his armor hastily to not hurt the smaller male, nipping at his jawline and just once, those ears. He growled at the way the hanyou shuddered at the sensation, an erotic whimper of pleasure escaping him.

Sesshomaru pulled back a little, eyeing him almost possessively. It scared the hanyou as much as it turned him on.

"I do not want to force you into anything. Tell me to stop, and I'll stop."

"I thought you said no talking." Inuyasha mocked childishly.

Sesshomaru almost scowled at that response, but instead held his gaze evenly. "I want you comfortable, not unwilling."

Inuyasha responded by burying his hands in the other's hair, pulling him close. Logic didn't matter anymore, incest, none of that. He was horny and he needed something damn it. Inuyasha could barely think straight at this point. He could feel his release building up as their cocks aligned through their clothing, rubbing together pleasurably. It sent jolts of warmth into the hanyou's stomach and he moaned into the other's mouth as they kissed, feverishly moving their hips to find release.

There was nothing left but instinct and a crippling, shattering need on both ends.

The two grunted, moaning their pleasure as their arousals collided, sliding pleasurably together, writhing against the other. Inuyasha let out a tiny, nasal sound of pleasure, throwing his head back slightly as he came quickly. The other growled, burying his face into his neck as he came moments later, panting harshly.

The world became white for a few seconds, both their minds shorting out, and there was nothing but the crash of pleasure as they clung tightly to the other. Their muddled, yet relaxed minds slowly moved out of hazy darkness and they looked at one other with slightly widened eyes as they realized what had just happened.

However, moments later, they sat down together near the base of the tree behind them. Their thoughts weren't yet coherent beyond the afterglow of orgasm. Sesshomaru hadn't felt this relaxed ever, and Inuyasha seemed much calmer though highly disturbed. The hanyou's ears were flickering like mad, and the demon lord knew that was never a good sign.

"Oh, man..." The younger male sighed, pulling his knees up to his chest. He grimaced as he felt the sticky wetness in his pants even further, resting his chin on his knees. "I'm gonna be sick."

"Hn..." Sesshomaru seemed indifferent, simply blinking at nothing in particular as he rested an elbow on his knee in a graceful manner.

Inuyasha looked over at him once he realized he wasn't nauseous at all. "Was this like a one time thing or...?"

"It does not have to happen again. Say the word, and we will pretend that this never happened."

"But it did happen. I appreciate you trying to be all chivalrous or whatever, but I prefer honesty." Inuyasha paused, before continuing, "I guess we'll just see what happens from here."

Sesshomaru blinked, looking over at him with subtle curiosity.

Inuyasha smirked, shrugging. "I tried doing the 'normal' love thing before, you know like the guy gets the girl and the whole deal but it didn't work out for me...twice. So maybe this, as weird as it feels to me, could be it."

"..." Sesshomaru was silent, trying to think of something romantic to say but it didn't come easily to the somewhat socially awkward male, when a scent caught his attention.

Standing up with crimson engulfing his gaze, he growled and looked up at the branches. "Shiro."

"Huh?" Inuyasha blushed heavily, his face burning from embarrassment as the old dog demon hopped down from the branches with a wide, perverted smirk.

"You called for me?"

"How long have you been spying on us?"

"Long enough." The dog demon said, laughing in a stupid way that reminded Inuyasha of a jerk who thought way too highly of himself.

"I thought I was immature..." The hanyou muttered.

"Come now, you two make a beautiful couple. I didn't see that much." He assured them.

It didn't matter if he was lying or not, the two were humiliated by this point. Sesshomaru placed a comforting hand on the small of Inuyasha's back, walking by his side back to the palace nearby.

"I will kill him." Sesshomaru decided in an eerily calm tone that made the hanyou glance at him nervously.

"Give him a break. He's old, he probably doesn't know his ass from his elbow." The hanyou said quietly, shrugging.

"That is no excuse for being a pervert."

"True, but I lived with a pervert for a long time so I'm kinda used to it."

"The monk?"

"Yeah."

Sesshomaru stopped walking suddenly, causing the hanyou to stop also. He cupped his cheek, an unreadable emotion in his eyes as he placed a gentle kiss on the younger man's lips. Inuyasha smiled a little when he pulled back, an almost amazed expression on his face.

This was happening, but it still felt like a freefall. It had always been that way between them, tumultuous and uncertain. It was both exciting yet uncomfortable. Inuyasha let his eyes close, taking a deep breath as he felt the last traces of his old life dissolve into history.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm not sure, but you don't need to worry." '_I'm just trying to imagine this...us...actually happening._'

* * *

_I might continue after all. Probably not for awhile though. I'm putting this story on hold for now until I either continue it or delete the story. I haven't decided which yet. Thanks to those who've followed this since the start and those who've reviewed/added this to their alerts!  
_


	9. Chapter 9

_Warning: Yaoi. Mpreg. Lemon scene._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha_

_Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!_

* * *

It was that dreaded night again, the night of the new moon. Looking out of the window worriedly, he anxiously awaited dawn. Even though he had been in the safety of the palace for a year now, he still felt nervous on his human nights. As a rule, he had asked Sesshomaru never to come into his room when he turned mortal. He didn't want his brother to see him like this, so weak and powerless. With his human friends it had even been awkward for him at first to allow them to see him, much less his brother.

Running a hand through his black hair, he scowled at it, letting the silky tresses fall onto his shoulder and arm after awhile. Tsukuyo looked up at him, holding onto his knee as she tried to balance herself. The pup had recently turned one, and was still learning how to walk. She could take a few steps, but then she'd fall right over. Inuyasha felt horrible, but sometimes he felt like laughing whenever she tumbled over. As long as her head wasn't near any sharp or blunt objects, anyhow.

He was amazed even now that she was here. During his pregnancy with her, he assumed on one of those nights he would miscarry and lose her, since human males weren't supposed to bear children. Somehow, she had managed to survive every human night until her birth. Inuyasha supposed logic didn't really apply to something as illogical and strange as male pregnancy, anyway. It was a true miracle that the girl was here and healthy too.

"Mama!" She cooed, wobbling a little as she released his knee, determined to walk on her own. She'd taken to calling him 'mama' after hearing Mizuki tell her to do so many times, mainly to spite the irritable hanyou. It had been her first word, much to his disappointment.

"Papa." He corrected gently.

"No...no!" She disagreed, taking a shaky step forward, followed by several quick unstable steps, before she ended up falling to her knees and crawling around the room. Her excited, baby breaths came out in little, erratic pants as she crawled aimlessly about the room.

"Good girl, you walked. You're getting so big." He praised, his smile growing wider when she craned her head back to look at him with the most precious smile plastered on her small face. Her chubby, tiny legs began crawling forward again moments later, and she whined when she found she couldn't get back up again on her own.

"Uh oh!" She exclaimed, whimpering softly. Her cries escalated until she was practically bawling, but Inuyasha didn't move to pick her up. Instead, he smiled reassuringly.

"You can do it. Come on." He encouraged.

She stopped crying, whimpering as she attempted to get up on her feet. Before the pup could though, the door slowly slid open. Inuyasha was calm at first, thinking it was a servant, until he saw the silver hair in the dim glow of the room. Several more candles were lit by Sesshomaru, so that his mortal brother could see better in the dimness.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Inuyasha snapped angrily, turning away from him as though ashamed.

"I know you do not want me in here on these nights, but I heard Tsukuyo crying quite loudly-!"

"She's fine!" He snapped, glaring at him from the corner of his eye. "Now go. Leave me alone."

Sesshomaru smirked, coming closer to him. "Do not be such a child." His eyes observed the boy who refused to face him, narrowing his eyes. "Look at me, do not be so nervous."

"I'm not scared of you." Inuyasha muttered.

"I never said that you were."

The human turned around slowly and looked at the demon lord uncertainly. Inuyasha quickly picked Tsukuyo up, cuddling her to his chest. He tried to distract himself from his older brother's gaze by looking down at his pup, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Sesshomaru was stunned.

Now that he could fully see his brother's mortal form, rather than disgust he felt more intrigued if anything.

Inuyasha was beautiful as a mortal. Dare he say, more so than when he was hanyou. Long black hair fell down his back, his skin was slightly paler, and those eyes were such an unusual color yet memorizing. They looked brown, but with a tinge of something else. They almost appeared to be a dark blue-grey when he looked closer.

He now understood, just for a moment, what his father must have felt all those years ago when he first met Izayoi.

So beautiful, yet so fragile.

He failed to realize how uncomfortable he was making Inuyasha by simply staring at him for so long. The boy frowned deeply, stepping away from him.

"Take a damn picture, it'll last longer!" He spat.

"Hm?"

"Oh, that's right...you guys don't know about cameras yet. Kago-!" Inuyasha paused, rolling his eyes, "Oh wait, I forgot. Can't talk about her anymore."

"No, go on."

"Kagome used to take pictures sometimes. I kept a few." Inuyasha adjusted Tsukuyo in his arms slightly and took some small polaroids out from where he kept his stuff, showing his brother the photos. "They're like paintings you can keep forever. And it's much faster than sitting around for a portrait. All she had to do was press a button and it was instant."

Sesshomaru curiously took the small photos, observing each one. One was obviously of Inuyasha and Kagome, smiling together for once instead of arguing. One was of the demon slayer and her brother, presumably after Naraku's defeat. One was of Kouga and Inuyasha stuffing their faces, with odd food that looked modern.

"Potato chips." Inuyasha supplied, noticing how long his brother's confused eyes lingered on the last one.

"Hn.."

"Anyway, can you leave now? You know I don't like you seeing me like this." Inuyasha spat, glowering at him as he placed one hand on his hip, the other cradling his pup in his arm.

"Do not be childish. I quite like this form, to be honest." Sesshomaru said, the last part almost inaudible as he glanced at the wall rather the other male's face.

Inuyasha blinked confusedly, and he didn't need his demon senses to know that the older man almost seemed to be...aroused. Flustered, even.

After that weird day almost ten months ago in the forest when they'd...rubbed one out together (quite literally), and Shiro had caught them, neither one of them had really taken things any further. Inuyasha had mentioned it a few times, assuring him that he didn't care what strange things happened between them anymore, and that he was trying to understand demon culture better. The demon lord had ignored him or avoided the subject by easily changing it in that monotone, smooth manner of his.

It seemed now though old feelings were coming back, and quite suddenly at that. Sesshomaru swallowed heavily, abruptly wishing he had heeded Inuyasha's warnings and just left him alone. To respect his wishes of course, but also because he found himself entranced by this mortal beauty. His brother, yes, but a beauty nonetheless.

"I should go." He said awkwardly.

"Okay, whatever." Inuyasha didn't seem to care one way or the other.

"Did you get enough to eat?" Sesshomaru asked suddenly as he was leaving.

"No, I haven't eaten at all tonight. I never eat on mortal nights cause the servants don't come to my room when I'm like this."

It was quiet for a moment.

"What?" Sesshomaru snarled, feeling anger rush through him leaving his face hot.

"Earlier I thought you might be a servant when you opened the door, which would've been nice cause I would've gotten dinner."

"Why did you not inform me of this sooner?"

"I didn't want to bother you." Inuyasha replied simply, shrugging.

"I will be back." Sesshomaru told him, furiously walking down the hallways until he found the cook lounging around reading a scroll.

Snatching him up by his throat, the smaller male gasped and grabbed at his pale hand feebly in an attempt to escape. The demon lord's eyes flashed crimson, and he smirked widely at the fear in the cook's eyes.

"Would you like to explain why you do not feed Inuyasha on the new moon?" Sesshomaru asked quietly, already knowing the answer but he wanted to hear it from him.

"I refuse to feed a filthy mortal, my lord! A hanyou I can tolerate, but I will not give food to a pathetic human. He'll be fine until dawn anyway. He'll transform and it won't matter, and besides-!" He gasped, choking as the hand tightened, "...besides...he doesn't seem to care...he hasn't complained about it."

Dropping him carelessly, Sesshomaru frowned. "You will feed him every night, including the new moon. If I hear you have starved my brother out again, I will kill you. Just because he is mortal right now, does not mean he is no longer your lord or my brother. Am I clear?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm sorry." He said feebly, bowing though he looked irritated. A little too irritated.

"My sense of smell is stronger than yours...so if you dare to poison or harm him, I will know it."

"I understand."

o

About thirty minutes later, Sesshomaru returned with a tray for him. Inuyasha was shocked that the demon lord was actually serving it to him on his own rather than have a servant do it.

Setting it down on the bed, he looked up at him blankly. "Will you eat?" He asked calmly.

"Thanks. You didn't have to go through the trouble." Inuyasha said, immediately digging into the rice eagerly as he stuffed his face.

"Do you ever fear you will choke?"

Inuyasha actually thought about it for a minute, even though it was an insult. "Nope!" He proclaimed around a mouthful of food, swallowing thickly before shoveling more rice in his mouth.

Sesshomaru sat down next to him, waiting for him to finish. They idly talked about random, unimportant things though it was basically one-sided. Inuyasha did most of the talking as usual, but the demon lord didn't mind. He preferred to listen and observe.

The human lifted his daughter up from her place napping on the bed, throwing a blanket over himself while he fed her. Sesshomaru still wondered how it was possible, even now. His eyes averted from the other's hidden chest as Inuyasha looked up at him sourly.

It was quiet for awhile longer, until Inuyasha went to put Tsukuyo to bed. The pup curled up in her crib, falling asleep rather quickly from being so full and warm. Her tiny hands clutched the sheets under her while Inuyasha gently covered her with a blanket, not going past her lower back as it was a warm night.

A startled gasp escaped the mortal when Sesshomaru suddenly appeared behind him and said, "She is such a peaceful child."

"Damn it, don't give me a heart attack! Geez..." Inuyasha said, sighing a little as he placed a hand over his thudding heart.

"Forgive me."

Even though they walked back to the room casually, they were both aware the atmosphere had been tense for awhile. Ever since Sesshomaru laid his eyes on that mortal form, his irritating arousal would not go down. Inuyasha could tell something was going on, but chose not to say anything.

All that could be heard was their hearts beating rapidly. Inuyasha bit his lip as he moved away from the other male towards the bed, trying to ignore his sudden need. He cursed male hormones for the thousandth time, breathing in deeply and exhaling quietly. It was just a feeling, it would pass. It would pass. Besides, this was his brother of all people. This was Sesshomaru. He kept chanting that in his mind, attempting to get his mind off of his swollen cock.

It only helped slightly.

Suddenly, they glanced at each other.

Flaming gold met...dark-violet. Sesshomaru finally pinned down that rare color, the same color Izayoi had possessed. It was so dark it appeared brown, but up close the demon lord finally noticed it was a lovely, impossibly dark shade of blue-violet.

"What the hell are you staring at, you creep?" Inuyasha spat, ruining his observation.

"Your eyes." He told the truth. What did he have to hide anymore? Their faces were only inches apart after all, so close that they could feel the other's breath.

"What for?"

"Yours are beautiful." He said honestly. '_Of course, they are nice in hanyou form as well._'

"Thanks...I guess." Inuyasha mumbled, blinking several times. '_What's gotten into him anyway? And why do I feel so nervous suddenly?_'

"You are uncomfortable. I will leave."

"No!" Inuyasha held his hand up, before clutching it to his chest. "You can stay...I mean...you don't have to go if you don't want to..."

Sesshomaru raised a brow. He seemed more emotional in this form. The demon lord wasn't exactly sure if he liked that or not. He supposed he could tolerate it, since he had with Rin. It was still unusual though to see Inuyasha suddenly so...shy? No, that wasn't it. Needy...maybe a little more passionate and afraid. He wasn't sure, but it was strangely endearing.

"I will stay then." The demon told him, nodding.

Inuyasha moved closer to him, so that their lips nearly touched. The demon lord was surprised that his brother made the first move, but that was when the scent of pure lust and arousal hit him like a wall. Gods, this was beyond what demons felt. It was intoxicating.

Were all humans this lustful? It was both shameful and yet somehow exciting to the stoic dog demon.

"Damn it..." Inuyasha cursed, biting his lip as he suddenly looked down. "I just...I don't know why the hell I'm feeling like this...towards you no less." Pale hands gripped the demon lord's shoulders. "I guess this means... that I'm starting to like you. Oh man, I've officially lost it."

Sesshomaru growled lowly into his neck, his breath ghosting on the skin of Inuyasha's throat. "I can't take you like this. You're mortal, you're acting purely based off of your emotion."

"So?" He breathed. "Just shut up and do something before I change my mind and come to my senses."

"You no longer care that we are brothe-?"

Inuyasha silenced him with a gentle kiss, breathing in nervously. Sesshomaru met his gaze, returning the chaste kiss before deepening it as they drew their bodies closer together. They stepped back towards the bed rather clumsily, not breaking the kiss. Sesshomaru pushed the human down gently onto the futon, ripping off the white sleeping kimono he was wearing easily, before removing his clothing. His obi was tossed to the side along with his armor and clothes, and he moved forward onto the bed to hover over Inuyasha's naked form.

The younger man stared up at that handsome, expressionless face with wide eyes. His normally cold golden eyes gleamed with just a little warmth though, or maybe it was lust. Inuyasha couldn't tell. The demon lord nipped at his neck, kissing and biting the sensitive flesh.

Inuyasha arched up, the ache inside of him too much to bear. "Please-!" He gasped, unsure of who or what he was begging for.

Golden eyes darkened with lust.

The human's eyes widened and he cried out as Sesshomaru licked at his fingers, inserting one gently into his entrance. Inuyasha arched against the discomfort, moaning as that finger slid in deeper. It was painful at first, but the demon lord allowed him time to adjust to the intruding digit.

After preparing him gently, the older male couldn't wait much longer. He kissed at those human ears, licking down his chest and stopping at hardened rosy buds, suckling gently earning loud moans from the dark-haired man. Carefully, he thrust forward slowly, just enough to get the tip in. Inuyasha nodded for him to keep going, and he did so until the other's muscles tightened painfully around his member.

Sesshomaru saw that his black-haired lover was falling back into the world of pleasure; forcing him to find release for his own painful need. He pushed deeper into his tight entrance and reveled in the feel of his strong muscles contracting around the intrusion.

Inuyasha whimpered in pain, making the demon lord stop momentarily. A grunt of rejection sounded in the older man's ears causing him to lick at the human's pulse point and to lick and tease a nipple into rock hardness with his nimble fingertips. Despite himself, the human couldn't contain his moans at the wonderful feeling, even though he was roughly biting his lip. Another thrust and he was sheathed fully within the tight hot cavern of his soon to be mate.

Sesshomaru let his eyes close. He knew it would feel good but he never expected it would feel quite this...intense. The other male was slowly beginning to feel pleasure, the discomfort fading away as he tried to relax his muscles.

The demon lord didn't stay still for long, as he wanted the other man to experience pleasure too - he gave a gentle roll of his hips hitting the sweet spot buried within and was pleased by the shudder that shot through the smaller male's body. He slowly pulled back out and glided in, their moans of pleasure sounding throughout the room. Inuyasha's breaths were coming in sobbing pants and his body stiffened and tensed each time Sesshomaru's muscles shifted and his hips pounded forward.

The demon lord's pale, lean body moved with savage grace, but not so roughly he would hurt the fragile mortal. His golden eyes clouded with lust as he thrust into the younger male, who laid on his back and arched his body against the pillows panting harshly.

He leaned down and his thrusts grew even more rapid, the hoarse, deep rasp of his voice brushing over Inuyasha's ears. "Curse you, you're so...tight." Moments later, he panted, "Lift your legs up."

Inuyasha moaned loudly, wrapping his legs around Sesshomaru's waist as he angled his thrusts more - right _there_ and even more pleasure radiated through his belly and spread to his tight, stiff arousal. Heat poured through his veins and coiled tight in his muscles, tense and expectant.

The human arched, feeling silky hardness push hard against his prostate again, and it took him right over the edge of release. He threw his head back and climaxed with a soundless shriek, his mouth wide open and his body trembling violently as he kept spurting his essence onto the sheets and his own body. Sesshomaru came not long after, stilling completely as he released into his mate. He was shaking a little, his pants heavy and a thin sheen of sweat coated his body as he gently pulled out of the younger male.

Looking down at Inuyasha's prone form with half-lidded eyes, the demon lord collapsed rather ungracefully next to him but could care less about how disheveled they both looked at the moment. Still panting, Sesshomaru looked over at the human whose back faced him. Inuyasha turned around slowly, giving him a lazy, pleased smile as he cuddled into his chest unexpectedly. Sesshomaru froze at the sentimental contact, before pulling him closer and burying his nose into dark hair, giving a contented sigh.

* * *

_Okay, well that's all for now. I might continue this, I might not. I dunno. I'm a Libra, I change my mind all the time. *shrugs*_

_If you like it, let me know. Also, thanks for reading! _


	10. Chapter 10

_Warning: Yaoi. Lemon scene._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha.  
_

_Thanks so much to all those who reviewed last time! I appreciate all the alerts/comments so far, cause I was seriously about to leave this story in the dust and not finish it out of pure writer's block/laziness. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

The morning after was not nearly as awkward as Inuyasha thought it would be. As dawn approached, the early sunlight streamed in through the window, making the sleepy human open his eyes. The light bothered him momentarily, until he realized that the night was finally over. Sitting up, he cringed slightly as his fangs pierced through his gums again, ears uncomfortably shifted back to the top of his head, and his claws reemerged. Glancing at his silver hair, he sighed with relief at being a hanyou again. Being human always made him feel so...well, weak. His brother seemed to love his mortal form though and Inuyasha wondered how he would react now that he was his usual self yet again.

The older man shifted slightly, opening his eyes almost confusedly. This heavy, warm pulling sensation was foreign to him and it occurred to Sesshomaru that this was the deepest he'd ever slept since he was a small child.

Looking to his right slightly, he gazed up at Inuyasha who smirked down at him. "Good morning." The hanyou mumbled lazily, his smirk widening.

"Good morning." He replied quietly, sitting up slightly.

The demon lord pressed a hesitant kiss to Inuyasha's mouth, pleasantly surprised when the younger man didn't pull away. Instead, the half demon simply looked at him with an unreadable expression. He couldn't tell if it was love or amusement, or both.

"My breath didn't bother you?" Inuyasha asked, checking it by cupping his hands together and blowing out, sniffing slightly.

"No. I do not care about such things. I've smelt worse." Sesshomaru assured him.

"Oh gee, thanks." He muttered sardonically, rolling his eyes.

Sesshomaru quickly moved to get dressed, the hanyou's eyes followed his movements of the corner of his eyes. His pale skin stood out in stark contrast to those demonic markings covering his body, stopping near his slender waist. Inuyasha wondered what it meant in the demon world or if it was a sign of power, but didn't want to ask. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to suddenly get haughty.

"Are you going to eat breakfast?"

"No...I can wait until lunch. I'm not that hungry." Inuyasha told him, shrugging.

This caught Sesshomaru's attention. His little brother was always hungry, even when he wasn't hungry. For him to turn down food meant something was wrong.

'_Does he regret what we did last night? I would not blame him._' Sesshomaru thought, looking at the small hanyou.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm fine. I'm just not hungry yet." He said, waving him off.

"If you have any regret, I unders-!"

Inuyasha looked at him incredulously. "What? No...I..." He sighed, blushing as he folded his arms, "I enjoyed myself. So don't feel bad or nothin'."

"Alright." Sesshomaru looked over at him, slipping Bakusaiga's sheath into his obi tightly before adding, "Would you like to go out somewhere today, Inuyasha? I feel as though you could use some time outside. I know you must miss it, since you are cooped up in the palace most days."

"Well, that sounds nice...but I've gotten used to being in here. Besides, I go outside all the time." Inuyasha replied, placing a hand on his hip as he shrugged.

"Yes, to the training grounds or the hot springs. I meant go on a short trip." Sesshomaru clarified.

"Where to exactly?"

Sesshomaru walked up to him, trying to convey the seriousness of the previous night to his brother through his expression. It didn't work, because the hanyou continued to stare at him blankly with a raised brow.

"I do not think you fully understand. As a demon, I have claimed you by placing my scent here..." He lightly brushed the hanyou's neck, making the smaller male shudder pleasantly at the sensation, "...so that others know that you are mine, and that I am your alpha. As new mates, I thought I would take you somewhere you would enjoy."

Inuyasha's eyes widened hugely, too shocked by hearing that they were mates to care that Sesshomaru had indirectly insinuated that he was in fact the beta. "Oh man...wait...that wasn't just sex? I thought...why didn't you explain this to me before? Like _way_ before we got so involved?"

"There was no reason before." He replied, blinking coolly.

Inuyasha sighed agitatedly, as the older man was technically correct. "Whatever. I'm just...this is a little sudden. I didn't know demons marked each other as mates the first time."

"They do not, which is why Kai didn't do such a thing. I did it hastily, I admit. If you regret it, I can wipe out the smell, but we are still bonded as mates regardless." Sesshomaru explained, looking almost...apologetic if Inuyasha didn't know better.

It was quiet for several seconds and for a moment, the demon lord almost felt something akin to fear brew inside him. The feisty half demon could be unpredictable at times and he dreaded his reaction.

The hanyou smiled a bit to his surprise, shaking his head. "You know what? I don't care anymore. I'm pretty sure you were the one I was gonna end up with anyway."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he could've sworn he saw a pink tinge dusting the hanyou's cheeks. Raising a brow slightly, the older man wondered what such a reaction could mean. One ear was also flickering and he felt tempted to touch it, but couldn't when the hanyou moved away suddenly.

Inuyasha looked at him over his shoulder, smirking a bit. "So, where the hell are you taking me? I hope it's not too crappy."

o

Hours later, the two brothers stood near a demon village, much to Inuyasha's interest. He'd heard of them, but they were more rare considering most demons lived in tribes in the forests or in palaces. The hanyou looked nervous, even a bit hesitant as he eyed the village with a frown.

Sesshomaru seemed to sense his concern. "Do not worry, we're not going into the village itself. There is a place nearby I wanted to take you to for a few days. It is very beautiful. Father used to take me there sometimes when I was younger."

"Father..." Inuyasha murmured, blinking at him curiously. "He sounds like he was a pretty nice guy."

"He was. You are a lot like him in temperament, actually." Sesshomaru commented almost inaudibly, but Inuyasha heard him and couldn't help but grin somewhat. "Of course, that also includes his horrendous temper and recklessness."

"Hey!" Inuyasha barked, frowning deeply.

"Do not act so surprised."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess I have a temper, but so what?" He snapped, folding his arms.

Sesshomaru didn't reply, walking with another word towards the forest. Inuyasha followed him, feeling an odd sense of dread as though something bad was about to happen. He worried about his daughter, who he had left in the care of Mizuki and the servants. He trusted them, but it was weird to be away from his baby this long for the first time.

'_She'll be alright._' He tried to convince himself, sighing anxiously.

"Something the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." The hanyou replied gruffly, narrowing his eyes a bit as he looked at the surrounding forest.

o

Eventually, they came upon a gorgeous clearing filled with bright azaleas and trees that were scarcely littered with cherry blossoms. Fall was coming soon, but there were still some flowers blooming here and there. Inuyasha smiled at the scene, taking it in momentarily. One of the reasons he loved the outdoors so much was for its natural beauty. Looking further, he noticed a huge hot spring nearby and smirked.

"This place is nice." He finally said, turning towards Sesshomaru.

The older man walked forward, his hair blown back slightly by the sudden breeze. "I am glad that you like it. Do you want to bathe now?"

"You mean relax?" Inuyasha clarified, eagerly staring at the warm water. "Sure. But..."

Sesshomaru noticed his hesitancy, once again wondering if the hanyou had changed his mind about their new relationship. A part of him feared intimacy, because it lead to other feelings that were more powerful and he wasn't sure he wanted to be a part of that. His father had always told him in the past to find someone to love and protect, but it had seemed ridiculous and foolish to him. Now that he had people that were precious and important to him, Rin and Inuyasha mainly, it was beginning to feel...overwhelming.

'_Am I the one who actually has doubts? It could be that I do not wish to be with Inuyasha, because I know I will make a poor mate for him. He is energetic and full of life, while I am so much like my mother._'

"What is it, Inuyasha?" He asked moments later, suddenly realizing how nervous his little brother appeared.

"Something's not right." He muttered, looking around suspiciously. "I've sensed this presence before. Maybe we ought to leave and come back another time."

"Nonsense. I am here, you have no reason to worry." He assured him, his feet stopping at the edge of the bubbling water. He slipped his clothes off quickly, discarding them along with his armor. "Let's at least relax for a little, Inuyasha. We came all this way."

"You're right, but...oh hell, fine. At the very least, can we not spend the night here? I want to get back to Tsukuyo." Inuyasha insisted, also removing his clothes.

Sesshomaru nodded. "As you wish, brother. However, we can't go back until late at night."

"Why the hell not?" He asked curiously, getting in and sighing at the warmth of the water.

"There's an inn just outside the youkai village, that serves all kinds of beings. We will be welcome there."

Inuyasha blinked several times, before frowning deeply. "What the hell? You're taking me out on a real date?! You don't have to do that, you know! Idiot!"

"I can see that gratitude is not your forte." Sesshomaru said smoothly, his face neutral. "In any case, I thought you would want a nice meal. It is much better than what we serve to you in the palace. They have more to offer as far as human food goes, anyway."

"Oh..." Inuyasha blushed, his ears flickering madly, "It's just, uh, I meant that you don't have to take me out anywhere. I'm already with you, that's enough. You don't have to do...you know..."

"Nice things for you?" Sesshomaru realized the problem quickly, feeling stupid for once. Of course Inuyasha was flustered - he was a hanyou who'd been treated very poorly for the majority of his life, even sometimes by his own human friends.

"Yeah." Inuyasha shrugged. "I'm a half demon anyway. They'll probably have us kicked out."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, but not out of anger. "Do not be ridiculous. You are with me, and those who oppose me and my guests, will die. Simple."

Inuyasha smirked widely, chuckling lowly under his breath. '_He acts tough, but he's gotten a lot nicer. I guess I should thank Rin for that._'

They enjoyed the warmth of the hot springs awhile longer, washing up as they relaxed in the water. Inuyasha wrung out his hair, looking behind him at the other man who was also nude still. They had just gotten out of the water, their clothes still piled on the ground. The half demon decided to be bold then - he went over to his new mate, chastely kissing him on the lips. He wasn't sure if the demon lord would even like such affectionate displays, as the demon himself was rather cold, but to his pleasant surprise Sesshomaru returned the gentle kiss.

The half demon suddenly grabbed the other's head, pulling him into a deep, unrelenting kiss. Pulling back, the younger man glanced up to meet Sesshomaru's eyes which were wide and unblinkingly fixed on Inuyasha's face, yet he still appeared to have that cool demeanor of his. They stared at each other for a few long moments, before Inuyasha's hand strayed down the other man's chest, finally making actual contact with Sesshomaru's skin. The hand grazed over a pink nipple, making the demon lord gasp breathily and look away, whether from embarrassment or pleasure Inuyasha didn't know. The half demon smirked, pleased he got some kind of reaction out of him. It was strangely nice to see the older man's walls come down, to see him come off his high horse once in awhile. He rubbed the sensitive bud again, flicking it slightly as he suckled the other one, pleased at the soft moans he was hearing.

"I-Inuyasha, you-!" Sesshomaru tried to speak, but found he simply couldn't. The pleasure was nearly overwhelming, making his knees weak slightly.

"Shut up." He raked his hands down that pale chest, smirking a little.

"Excuse me-?!" Sesshomaru snarled, only to feel all the anger leave his body when his mate suggestively spread his legs for him and pushed him down so that he laid flat on his back, straddling his waist with an all too familiar arrogant smirk.

"Take me, right here."

Sesshomaru looked around them, at the surrounding forest. He was a lord, he was dignified. Rutting out in nature, out in public was not something he was brought up to do. Dog demon or not, he was no wild creature, nor an exhibitionist.

"I think not, Inuyasha."

"Seriously? Live a little. Right now, come on." The half demon smiled more genuinely, leaning down to kiss his lips. His face lingered over the other man's, his wide golden eyes narrowing slightly with lust. It was enough to drive heat straight to the demon lord's manhood and he growled lowly.

The tension evaporated as Inuyasha gripped the other male's cock. He leaned in before his sense of common decency had time to argue.

"Ah..." Sesshomaru panted, letting his head roll back as his eyes widened at the unexpected treatment from the hanyou.

Inuyasha could feel Sesshomaru getting hotter and harder with every downward slide of lips and tongue, and just as he could feel the other man getting close, Sesshomaru's fingers wound in his hair and gently tugged him away.

"What's wrong?" He ran a hand up Sesshomaru's thigh, watching in awe as the man's cock gave a strong twitch at the simple contact.

The demon lord didn't answer much to his confusion, until the feel of his cock filling him silenced anymore questions that he had.

"Ah-!" Inuyasha's bright eyes shut tightly, and his head fell forward as the pleasure nearly overwhelmed him. It felt good now, not quite as painful as the first time, although still uncomfortable. He tried to relax his muscles, but it was difficult.

Sesshomaru thrust into that gloriously tight heat slowly, still unable to believe that this was really happening. Never would he have thought his mate would end up being his own blood, and he was sure Inuyasha felt the same way. Once fully sheathed, Sesshomaru stilled and went blank as though he'd forgotten everything about sex. All he knew was that it was best feeling in the world and that he never wanted it to end.

But then Inuyasha squirmed impatiently, and suddenly Sesshomaru remembered to rock his hips forwards and back, thrusting into that tight passage, and decided that this was actually the best feeling in the world.

"I-Inuyasha..." Sesshomaru grunted, thrusting into him quickly, deeply, yet remembering to be gentle at first. He shifted a few times, trying to find that angle that would make the younger male feel half as good as what he was experiencing, if not more so.

When the half demon gave an undignified cry of pleasure, Sesshomaru smirked as he knew he'd found that spot. He thrust into that spot brutally, unrelentingly, watching Inuyasha's arrogant and nonchalant composure unravel before his very eyes. He looked more striking now, with his features relaxed and mouth open from ecstasy.

"Slow down, I'm too close..." Inuyasha panted, closing his eyes tightly. "I'm going to come..." If the hanyou thought that would be a deterrent, he was very wrong.

His words only flared the demon lord's excitement, and the hips ramming upwards into him picked up their pace as the younger man rode him, jabbing a battering assault on the hanyou's prostate.

Sesshomaru hardly even blinked, not wanting to miss a moment of this. He felt Inuyasha's walls clamp down on him as he came, the younger man moaning loudly. He could feel his entrance contract around his arousal, and the youkai obligingly drove deeper into Inuyasha's spot, watching as the hanyou rode out his orgasm and nearly fell forward on top of him.

When the final pulses left Inuyasha's cock, Sesshomaru flipped their position so that the smaller man laid on the ground this time. He seized the younger man's ankles and pushed the other man's legs up into the air, allowing him to plunge faster, deeper, harder.

"Ah-!" The older man tried to speak, suddenly stilling as he was suddenly there, shouting out pleasure as he rutted furiously into the lightly tanned, lean body under him. Inuyasha made no objection, even as he released his hot seed inside him, even when pure muscle collapsed on top of him panting heavily.

Sesshomaru quickly slipped to the side, allowing the younger man to breathe. He pressed a soft kiss to the half demon's forehead, brushing back some silver hair. Golden eyes watched Inuyasha with rare warmth and a smile lit up the half demon's face, his eyes filled with a look that could only be love.

o

The two stopped in front of a fancy-looking, well adorned inn later that night. Inuyasha bit his lip, looking a little uncertain. He didn't like going to places like this, needless to say. During the journey to rid of Naraku, whenever his human friends ate at places like this, he would usually always sit outside or out of the way.

He didn't like this even a little bit.

However, Sessomaru was insistent on showing him a nice time, so he went along with it. As soon as they stepped inside, the woman in charging of managing the tables bowed to them. She was clearly the hostess, and was a short elderly raccoon youkai with a friendly, warm smile. Once she realized just who her guests were, she gasped and bowed more deeply.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it is an honor...and might this be your brother?" She asked politely.

"Yes." It was the truth, after all. He didn't feel like telling her the details of their complex relationship.

"This way." She gestured for them to follow her.

Surprisingly, she led them to an outdoor table. After she took their dinner orders, the hanyou looked at his brother with wide eyes.

"Yes, I figured you wouldn't want to dine with others. So I arranged a private area for us to eat." He explained, answering the silent question lingering in those wide amber eyes.

"Sesshomaru..." He smiled a little, before covering it up with a smirk as he looked to the side with an arrogant scoff. "That was nice, but you didn't have to go through the trouble. I can handle eating around other people."

"Of course."

"...but thanks anyway. So...um..." Inuyasha blushed madly, unsure of how to act now. People were never this kind to him, not for this long anyhow. Kindness was foreign to him.

It was the main reason he was so rude - after all, the best way to mask insecurities and weakness was with arrogance. He'd be damned if he turned into the shy wimps that most half breeds were...if they even made to adulthood, anyhow. Most died before then, he realized all of a sudden. He supposed he was lucky to still be alive after all this time, after all he'd gone through.

"You are welcome."

They ate their food in slightly awkward silence, mainly because Inuyasha's mind was reeling and he didn't fill the silence with his usual idle talking. It was beginning to hit him that this was real - they were in a relationship and his brother was finally treating him decently. Rather than make him glad though, it only bred more fear. It was fear that all this would come crumbling down soon and that Sesshomaru would realize that being with a half demon with a serious temper was a mistake, just like Kagome.

As they finished their food, Sesshomaru was about to ask him what was on his mind after all this time spent in silence, until the ground began shaking a little. Inuyasha blinked uncertainly, looking around confusedly.

"What the hell's that?" Inuyasha wondered.

Sesshomaru stood up, drawing his sword. His eyes were focused on the sky intently. "A bat demon. He's close."

"Man, I can't stand bats." Inuyasha muttered, remembering his battle with Shiori's grandfather.

A blast from inside made the two snap their heads over at the inn, where the roof was crumbling in and youkai were scrambling around for cover. As soon as the dust settled, a tall figure emerged from the building and stood in the shadows a moment as though trying to intimidate them. Either that, or he was quickly assessing their powers. Bat wings folded flat against his back, appearing to shrink back into its body as it took on a humanoid shape suddenly.

The man finally stepped into the dim light, but with their demonic senses they could see him perfectly even though it was dark. He was surprisingly very beautiful, and looked perfectly harmless. He looked exactly like Shiori, the hanyou girl he had once helped in the past. Except he was male, taller, and carried a strange weapon that was slung onto his back. His purple-silver hair was tied up into a high ponytail and his armor suggested he was of nobility, or at least fairly powerful.

"Inuyasha, I take it?" He guessed, smiling a little.

His freakishly genuine smile and pleasant appearance was somehow far more unsettling than any gruesome, ugly monster.

Chills ran down the half demon's back as his lavender eyes settled on him, waiting for him to answer. Inuyasha glanced at Sesshomaru, then back at the other man with a frown.

"Yeah, that's me." He muttered, raising a brow. "What the hell do you want?"

"How rude. I should introduce myself..." He drawled, taking the weapon from his back slowly, "I'm Takuyamaru. You might know Taigokumaru, the former demon lord of the bat demon tribe."

Inuyasha felt the blood leave his face, feeling cold and nervous suddenly. '_Oh, crap._'

"No need to answer. From the look on your face, I'd say yes." He said, almost mockingly. "You and Shiori's father, or his spirit anyhow, killed him...and I don't care what the reason was. I'm not here for revenge."

"Are you related to Shiori?" Inuyasha needed to know suddenly.

"No. Even if I was, I do not care about that half breed and her mother." Takuyamaru drawled, blinking coolly.

Sesshomaru nearly winced - it was far too reminiscent of himself in the not so distant past. He glanced at the hanyou, but Inuyasha's gaze was focused completely on the bat youkai.

"Keh, bastard. What the hell do you want anyway? Stop beating around the bush and spit it out already!" Inuyasha snapped, unsheathing his sword and swinging it out in front of him.

There was a long pause, with the only sounds being of the trees rustling in the wind and the frightened screams of others in the background.

"What do I want? I just want your weapons. Namely, I want yours." Takuyamaru finally looked towards Sesshomaru, smirking. "Give me Bakusaiga, or you both will die. It is up to you. Or better yet, if you don't give me want I want..." He took a few steps back, dragging a small figure from the shadows who had been cowering behind him. The bat held up the little girl by her hair, pressing his blade into her neck lightly, "...I'll kill her...and I will not give you the chance to revive her, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Shiori!" Inuyasha called, feeling like the breath was suddenly knocked from him. He hadn't seen her in at least four years or more, not since he had needed to make his sword able to break through barriers.

"Inuyasha..." She smiled a little, before closing them as fear overwhelmed her, feeling the double-bladed sword press harder against her tanned skin.

* * *

_So, that's all for now! I hope this was okay.  
_

_Thanks for reading! _


	11. Chapter 11

_Warning: Yaoi. Mpreg. M for language._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

___Hey everyone, hope you enjoy! I've been in a writing slump for some reason, so this chapter and onwards might not be as great as previous ones...so...yeah sorry about that but when writer's block hits it really hits. _

* * *

"Inuyasha..." She smiled a little, before closing them as fear overwhelmed her, feeling the blades press harder against her tanned skin.

"Don't you dare hurt her! You're beyond low, using an innocent child like that to get what you want. Why the hell do you even need Sesshomaru's sword?" Inuyasha yelled, clenching his fists.

"Let's see." Takuyamaru said in an oddly calm voice, given the circumstances. "First off, humans do plan on ridding of demons in case you haven't heard. Clearly, mutts live under rocks these days."

Sesshomaru stiffened, narrowing his eyes as he actually did remember his mother addressing him about these issues during a meeting. He simply hadn't been paying any attention to her nor his advisers. Feeling foolish suddenly, he nearly sighed at his own lack of focus before glaring at the bat demon.

Inuyasha frowned, suddenly understanding his motives. Obtain power and protect his tribe from human retaliation. It made sense. However, after knowing Kagome and going to her world, he had learned firsthand that demons and hanyou wouldn't be around much longer. Perhaps only a few more centuries, which was nothing to the incredibly long lifespan of most demons.

"I get where you're coming from." Inuyasha said abruptly, surprising Takuyamaru slightly as he looked at the hanyou with wide eyes, "But it's all pointless. Humans will take over eventually."

"Perhaps so, but I will do what I can to preserve my tribe even as humans take over. Surely, you two plan on doing the same?" He asked, raising a brow.

Shiori writhed in his grasp, her little hands attempting to remove his larger one from her hair. He finally dropped her carelessly, waiting for the other two to answer him.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, a conflicted expression in his eyes. "Well, yeah, we do plan on protecting ourselves I guess."

"Fool!" Sesshomaru snapped all of a sudden, making them look in his direction, "You will never get my sword. A demon such as yourself isn't suited to such a powerful weapon. You wouldn't be able to use it."

"We'll see about that." Takuyamaru said, sneering a little.

"Damn it." Inuyasha muttered, biting his lip. This guy had single-handedly almost ruined their date night and now he was even more anxious to get back to his little girl. He glanced over at Sesshomaru, who met his gaze and nodded.

It was on. They were going to have to fight him, there wasn't a way out of this battle.

"You must want to guarantee your defeat by choosing us as your opponents." Sesshomaru murmured, narrowing his eyes as he moved into a defensive stance.

Takuyamaru simply offered them a borderline manic grin, his lips stretched entirely too wide for comfort.

Inuyasha growled lowly, swinging his sword back. "Wind Sc-!" That was when he realized Shiori was at his feet, and he couldn't use any moves yet.

"Coward, using a child as a shield." Sesshomaru murmured, before softly scoffing.

Takuyamaru tossed the child to the side roughly before either could react, and the hanyou gasped as the small girl came to a stop several feet from them. Luckily, she seemed fine as she lifted her head with widened eyes. She looked at Inuyasha, a silent plea to help her in those lavender eyes, and he smirked determindedly in return. A tiny smile lit up her face, and she moved to her knees, watching the fight unfold before her.

"Alright, now I'm wide open. So shut up with all the talking and hit me, mutts!" He yelled, a creepy laugh escaping him.

His entire demeanor had changed, Inuyasha noticed. He went from being cool and quiet like Sesshomaru, to a rather deranged and overly zealous character. Perhaps this was his true nature, or maybe it only surfaced during the heat of battle. Either way, it didn't matter and they didn't care. He was going down.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled, swinging his sword back with a grunt.

However, the man did absolutely nothing to step out of the way. His odd grin only grew wider as the attack came towards him, and he casually rested a hand onto his hip as it appeared to rip directly into his body.

"The hell...?"

Sesshomaru frowned. "Did the ingrate want to die?"

As the dust settled, Inuyasha sighed with a look of annoyance as he realized why the bat demon had been so nonchalant about it.

He could form powerful barriers too, not as good as Shiori's were (before her red orb had been broken), but enough that it easily withstood Tetsusaiga's attacks.

"Damn you!" The hanyou spat.

Sesshomaru looked fairly confused for once, glancing at his brother. "You act as though this is normal, brother. Am I missing something here?"

"I'm guessing you haven't fought a bat demon yet...they're annoying bastards. Powerful barriers and extremely good hearing are their main abilities." Inuyasha explained.

"Are you two going to stand there discussing me, or are you going to actually fight?"

"Inuyasha. Let's go." The demon lord commanded.

The half demon nodded. "Yeah."

The two moved in on him quickly, attempting to use close-range moves instead. His barrier flickered slightly, and Inuyasha smirked at the moment of weakness. His blade turned red and he slicked through it quickly. Takayumaru looked taken aback, grimacing as the blade managed to slice his shoulder somewhat.

"Hey, that hurt like hell!" The bat yelled, almost sounding like he was a petulant, whining child as he pouted slightly, "Stupid half breed. You'll regret that." He sneered.

Running forward, he seemed to disappear which made them both uneasy. In the flash of an eye, he was in front of the hanyou, biting down onto his neck and drawing out a little blood. Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat and he gasped, looking at the man incredulously.

The bat leapt back as his barrier managed to reemerge to protect his body again, drawing a circle around himself with the half demon's blood. Taking the double-bladed sword from his back, he stabbed his own finger almost tentatively, as though seeing if something was going to work or not.

Inuyasha grimaced, staring in disbelief at his finger which was now mysteriously bleeding. He looked up at the bat youkai, an enraged look on his face. "What the hell did you do to me, bastard?!"

"Nothing much." He shrugged, grinning a little. "I've connected our bodies. Any infliction that I feel, you'll feel too except it won't kill me. However, it will harm you. Once I'm through with you, I can focus on him." His eyes flickered over to Sesshomaru.

"How dare you..." Sesshomaru worried suddenly, unsure about how to fight now. Unlike his brother, he liked to plan out his battles in his mind and think of the best strategy rather than jump in recklessly headfirst.

This man was clearly stronger than most demons, and possessed a unique ability to harm others by harming himself.

'_He's nothing but a damn masochist._' Inuyasha thought, growling lowly.

"Inuyasha, stand down." Sesshomaru said suddenly as the half demon raised his sword.

"No way!" He slashed his fang forward, grunting with the effort, "Wind Scar!"

The lavender-eyed man smirked just a little, allowing part of his barrier to dissipate just enough to get hit only slightly. The attack ripped through the hanyou too, much more powerfully. Inuyasha screamed as his own attack sliced his body, falling to the ground with a grunt. He lifted his head, getting onto his knees as he glared heatedly at the bat demon.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru knelt next to him, the faintest gleam of worry in his eyes. He rested a hand on his shoulder, making sure he was okay before standing up to give Takuyamaru an icy look.

The bat demon smirked widely, chuckling lowly. "Now Lord Sesshomaru, your sword."

"I think not."

"Bastard..." Inuyasha spat out some blood, coughing slightly as he shakily stood up.

"Fool, stay out of the way now. You're too badly injured. Those cuts are deep, even for a half demon like yourself." Sesshomaru told him, glaring in his direction, trying to mask his worry with irritation instead.

He knew the half demon would heal very quickly though, but only if he stayed out the way and rested for the rest of the battle. Knowing his little brother, that wasn't going to happen. To his pleasant surprise, the hanyou did as he was told.

Inuyasha normally wouldn't have given a damn what anybody said and would have kept on fighting even if it meant dying. Now things were different. He was a mother technically and the thought of risking his life and leaving his daughter behind left a bad feeling his stomach and a lump in his throat.

"...fine, damn it." He said tersely, grimacing.

Sesshomaru's logical mind began thinking quickly, desperate to come to some kind of peaceful solution. This man was quite powerful, and if he put the same spell on him as he did Inuyasha, then the both of them would be in trouble. He couldn't have that. There had to be some other way than continuing to attack him.

"Why do you want my sword?" He lowered Bakusaiga slightly, waiting for an answer.

Inuyasha glared at his brother sourly, considering he'd already asked that question earlier. His puppy ears twitched with annoyance, but at the same time he was sure asking again was a smart move. Maybe it would calm the bastard down a little.

Takuyamaru seemed caught off guard by the simple, yet loaded question. A foreboding breeze blew through the clearing suddenly, rustling the leaves and their clothing somewhat.

"I already mentioned before, humans want us demons gone." Takuyamaru explained, gazing directly at him, "Our numbers have dwindled down severely because of human's weapons. They have this strange stuff...it's called gunpowder from what I remember."

"Gunpowder?" Inuyasha knew exactly what he was talking about, as he'd seen guns in Kagome's era. "They have guns now."

"Yes." The bat said, before flickering his gaze back towards Sesshomaru. "So, as you can imagine, I need more power to deflect against these weapons. I've tried getting gunpowder myself, but it's only sold in human villages and they wouldn't let a demon like me touch the stuff. I guess I could've killed them but I chose not to. Also, it only comes in from the mainland where it was supposedly invented."

'_Mainland...he means China._' Inuyasha thought, remembering the young priestess' modern map that hung in her house.

"So you want to obtain as much power as possible, hn?" The demon lord looked down at his sword, frowning slightly. "And you say that your numbers have gone down? How many are left?"

"Ten, including us." His lavender eyes looked over at the frightened half demon child, who watched them with nervous eyes. "However, eight are male, so reproducing quickly isn't really an option since men can't have children. So, it's either we fight or we perish."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly. Ten was almost as low as their own tribe - although, dog demons had began to go extinct long ago due to a lack of females in the tribe.

Inuyasha dug his sheath into the ground, standing up with some difficulty. His older brother's head snapped over to him, about to worry over his health and stupidity, when the hanyou began speaking in a low voice.

"Look, it doesn't matter what you do or don't do. Mortals are gonna win eventually, so go back to your caves already."

"How are you so sure?"

"You don't have to believe me."

Shiori stood up suddenly, stepping closer tentatively as she clutched a small fist to her chest. "Please, help us. We don't have much to offer you in return, but-!"

Takuyamaru sneered at her, gazing at her out of the corner of his eye. "Stay out of this little girl, this is men's business. I'm handling it."

"Hey, don't talk to her like tha-!" The half demon began, snarling at him, only to pause when Sesshomaru suddenly moved towards the younger hanyou.

He knelt down in front of her, his gaze observant. Shiori's eyes widened, and she blushed heavily as she tried to avoid staring into his icy golden eyes. As beautiful as he was, there was something highly intimidating about him. However, when she glanced up again, she saw something in his gaze that told her that she could trust him.

"Shiori, is it?" He asked monotonously. "You may come back with us, if you like. We could send for your mo-!"

"She's gone." The child said lightly, interrupting him. She tried to appear upbeat, like it didn't affect her, but they could see the lingering pain in her expression.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, swallowing the stupid lump that had formed in his throat. Walking towards her too, he placed a hand on her head reassuringly and smirked.

"I'm sorry about your loss...my mom died when I was just a kid too. So..." He averted his gaze, unsure of how to continue. Being sentimental was never really his thing. That was something he and Sesshomaru actually had in common along with being incredibly stubborn.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"What for?"

"People are rarely kind to me." she said honestly, smiling. "So thanks for saying such nice things...and I'd like to come back with you if I'm allowed."

"Of course you're allowed." Inuyasha rubbed her head fondly.

"If this vapid, sentimental session is over then I'd-!"

"Enough. We're done with you." Sesshomaru said warningly, turning on his heel with a second thought. "She can come back, but you are a grown man. You can fend for yourself."

"Hey, wait a minute!" He yelled, raising a brow. "Firstly, never turn your back on me. Second, I am a highly skilled warrior. Don't you think I could aid you in a battle against mortals, should they come to the West killing demons?"

"Why should we trust you? You have not given us any reason." Sesshomaru said coldly, looking back at him over his shoulder.

The bat simply glared at him and let out a heavy sigh. "Look, I know that much...but I'm not going back to those caves."

Sesshomaru was about to speak, when Inuyasha placed a hand on his shoulder. Smirking widely, his eyes shone with a determined sort of confidence as he looked back at him. "Don't worry. If he tries anything, we'll just kill him. No problem."

The demon lord smirked, nodding before focusing his eyes on the other man. "Do as you please, I don't care any longer."

"Good to know, Lord Sesshomaru." Takuyamaru said, smirking a little.

The demon lord turned to his mate all of a sudden, raising a brow slightly. "Are you truly sure about this, Inuyasha?"

The half demon bit his lip, rolling his eyes as though he didn't want to speak nor have this conversation but spoke anyhow.

"Look, I trust you." He admitted sullenly, twisting his lips in a weird mixture of a slight frown and a smile that was threatening to break through. "And damn it, you're strong. I'll say it, okay? You're stronger than me...physically, anyway. I trust you to protect me and my daughter, and Shiori."

Somehow, those simple words seemed to shift a gear in Sesshomaru's mind. He'd never been one to open up or give people the privileged of seeing his walls come down. For Inuyasha though, he would try harder starting from that point on.

"So now that I've stroked your inflated ego, can we go?" The hanyou asked amusedly, smirking. "Plus, look at it this way. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer...right? If he's with us, he can't cause us much trouble later on like he would if we let him leave. And you get to keep your sword."

"I can hear every single thing that you're saying." Takuyamaru said loudly, throwing his hands up disbelievingly with wide eyes.

"True." Sesshomaru agreed, completely ignoring the man behind them.

It seemed the half demon wasn't so dull - perhaps he was more intelligent than he realized.

"Let's go." He added coldly, eyeing his new group.

Inuyasha picked Shiori up easily, carrying her on his back as they made their way to the Western lands.

o

As soon as they arrived, Shiro was the first one to greet them. His cheerful grin waned as he saw Takuyamaru trailing behind the two brothers and Shiori. A more interested expression took its place, and his brows raised slightly as they walked past him.

"Hello my lords." He said, bowing slightly.

"Hey, Shiro." Inuyasha greeted casually, glaring slightly at his brother for rudely ignoring him.

"Wait, I don't believe we've met." The older dog demon said, completely blocking the bat demon's path.

Takuyamaru rolled his eyes, folding his arms as he gave him a forced smile. "What is it?"

"You are breathtaking. Might I have your name?"

The younger man snorted rudely. "Breathtaking? Don't you have females to bother with those pathetic pick up lines? I'm not interested."

"How feisty." He commented, grinning amusedly.

"Just move." He growled, pushing him aside. "Aren't you at least a thousand years old?"

"Well, actually, yes...but that is beside the point. Age doesn't mean-!"

"Anything to demons, I'm aware." The bat demon sneered at him, scoffing. "I swear, some people..."

"I don't discriminate by gender. Attractive is attractive." Shiro said, shrugging.

Takuyamaru paused, laughing lowly despite himself. Giving him a look, he sighed heavily. "Whatever. Just leave me alone. I'm just here temporarily as a soldier."

"Anything you say, beautiful."

"Men are not beautiful. Do not call me that again or I'll-!"

"Kill you? Too predictable. Besides, you wouldn't kill me. My lords would have you kicked out for such a thing."

The bat demon sighed, laughing more loudly. "You're something else, you know that?"

"Well, yes." Shiro watched the bat demon walk off with a perverted smirk. "I'll see you around!"

"Hopefully not soon!" He called back as he disappeared around the corner.

o

Opening the door to Tsukuyo's nursery, Inuyasha smiled as his daughter immediately noticed him and stood up in her crib. She gripped the edge, bouncing up and down excitedly as he approached. Her little arms reached out for him, wobbling unsteadily on her legs.

"Mama! Mama!" She cooed happily as her raised her arms and made grabbing motions with her tiny hands.

Inuyasha offered her a rare, warm smile as he picked her up and cuddled her to his chest. "I missed you Tsuki. Did you miss me?"

"Mama!" She answered.

He smirked, kissing her cheek. It was the only word the one year old knew so far, but she was quickly picking up on other words and phrases. She appeared to be pretty intelligent for her age, or at least he thought so.

Sesshomaru stepped in after awhile, looking at his brother bond with his child. The hanyou turned around, offering Tsukuyo to her uncle. The older male stood still, not moving, until his little brother's unrelenting, demanding gaze made him finally give in and hold her. Sesshomaru hadn't bonded much with his niece and avoided her for the most part, which he knew bothered Inuyasha a little. As he held her, he gazed into that adorable little face that was tilted up at him. Her gaze unnerved him and he worried she would cry.

Finally, the pup squealed and touched a tiny finger to the crescent moon. She giggled, seemingly fascinated by the markings on his face. Sesshomaru held her a little more closely, feeling slightly more comfortable now that she seemed okay with his presence.

Looking at the pup made him remember suddenly one of the two things he'd meant to tell his brother upon coming in.

"I wanted to let you know Shiori and Takuyamaru have their own rooms now, and hopefully that man won't cause any trouble. Second, I asked the healer to start brewing something for you to hopefully prevent...ah, pregnancy."

Inuyasha blushed slightly, though he turned around to hide it. "You don't need to have her brew that for me."

"I know that we have only mated a few times, but there's still a chance that something could happen, and don't you want to prevent such a thing in the near futur-?"

"I want to try for one though." He interrupted lowly, turning around to face him again.

That caught the demon lord off guard, unable to comprehend his meaning for a moment. The pup shifted restlessly in his arms, and the older man bounced her a few times subconsciously to calm her. Inuyasha would never tell him in a million years how hilarious that looked when he did it, nor how oddly endearing it was to see Sesshomaru actually care for a baby.

"What? Try for what?"

"Idiot, for such a smart guy you sure don't get it sometimes." Inuyasha muttered, rolling his eyes. "I mean I want to have your...you know...pup." The last word was so quiet even the demon lord barely heard him.

"I do not want to take advantage of your ability. You also made it clear before that you don't wa-!"

"I changed my mind." The hanyou said simply, shrugging. "The difference between then and now is that I...oh man, I can't it say it. It's too corny for me."

"...?"

"I love you, okay? Whatever, big deal! Just shut up!"

"...I haven't said anything."

Inuyasha's face burned as he looked down, looking quite disgruntled at having to admit his feelings. His ears twitched as he looked away from the older man, unsure of what to say now. He looked up in the other man's eyes, and even though he knew the older man would never say such sentimental things out loud, he saw it clearly in his suddenly warmer gaze.

As glad as Sesshomaru was to hear those words, he wasn't sure if he liked the idea nor could he fathom how the hanyou had such a big heart. After the abuse in the past, Sesshomaru couldn't imagine that Inuyasha would ever be able to feel such an emotion towards him. Like him, maybe. Tolerate, sure. Love? Certainly not.

"Why exactly do you say that you love me? I've hardly given you any reason to...nor have we been intimate that long."

Inuyasha only stared at him blankly for a few moments, as though it should've been clearly obvious. Finally, he shrugged and looked away instead.

"Why do _you_ love _me_? I'm a half breed and we're complete opposites if you haven't already noticed."

Sesshomaru smirked. "Fair enough...and do not refer to yourself as a half breed again. I won't hear it anymore, not from you nor anyone else. You are worth more than that, brother."

The hanyou grinned slightly, nodding as he seemed to collect his thoughts.

"...you've finally given me everything I used to want and imagine, and then some." Inuyasha finally explained, smiling a little. "That's why I love you. So there, happy now?"

They stood in comfortable silence for a long while, Inuyasha watching as Tsukuyo cooed loudly at her uncle, before making little growling noises as she attempted to get back onto the ground but Sesshomaru didn't release her just yet much to her frustration.

"Well? Come on, say it. Do you love me too?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically, trying to make light of it to try to diminish the sappy atmosphere that had settled over them suddenly.

Not that he didn't enjoy this warm feeling, but it was lasting too long for comfort. He still wasn't used to having moments like this with someone. Not since...he shook his head, clearing thoughts of Kagome away. Even with her though, he rarely had these kinds of moments. They had usually been ruined by a sudden argument or immaturity on both sides.

Sesshomaru took it literally, his eyes narrowing just a fraction as he reached out a hand to cup his face as he looked at him pointedly. "Yes." It was a simple answer, only one word, but it was filled with such sincerity and rare emotion that Inuyasha was left speechless for once.

When he could see his mate had nothing to say, he added evenly, "So I should tell the healer to stop making brewing those herbs then?"

"Yeah." The hanyou nodded, folding his arms as he finally found his voice again. "I'm ready if you are. I'd rather have this not be a surprise, I want to try for a pup because we both want one. Do you?"

Even Sesshomaru, emotionless as he usually was, almost want to laugh at the question. Of course he was ready.

"Do you have to ask?"

"Well, yeah. I'm guessing that's a 'yes'?"

"Of course."

Inuyasha felt a strange feeling he never normally felt, it tingled in his stomach but it wasn't arousal. Was it excitement? Was this what happiness felt like? The concept was foreign to him, but for now he was content. Sure, it wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it. Just like his daughter had been worth it.

The hanyou reached out for her, and he handed the pup back quickly. To both their surprise, she struggled in her mother's grasp, whimpering as she reached out for Sesshomaru, her large blue eyes wide with distress. Inuyasha grinned amusedly, handing her back to him after a few moments.

"Hey, look at that. She likes you."

"Does she?"

"I'm gonna leave you two alone for awhile." When he saw the look akin to subtle horror on his older brother's face, he added hastily, "I'll be back soon. I'm just gonna talk to the healer myself, about the herbs and to wrap up these cuts from earlier. If it gets to be too much, just call for a servant or Mizuki. Okay?"

He nodded, watching him go with narrowed eyes before focusing on the pup in his arms who appeared to be very delighted and interested in his fur. She nibbled on it, smashing her face into the soft fluffiness of it and gripped it with her little fists tightly. It didn't hurt though, so he didn't move her. Instead, he sat down in a nearby chair, watching over the child as she eventually wore herself out playing and fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews/alerts from last time, it's appreciated. I'll try to update soon, but with school starting again I'm not too sure how fast I can continue. I guess I'll just see what happens. Thanks for reading!  
_


	12. Chapter 12

_Warning: Yaoi. Mpreg. Slight angst._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

_I hope you enjoy this chapter. Like I said in chap 11, the story from now on may not be so good due to school, stress, etc. but hopefully it turns out alright. _

* * *

The tutor sat across from Inuyasha, berating his writing as he practiced on the parchment below him. Sesshomaru had seen to it that his mate along with Shiori learn how to write and read more proficiently. As half demons, neither one was really given an opportunity to get much schooling nor have someone teach them. Inuyasha had more skills than the hanyou child, thanks to Kagome teaching him a little in the past but he still had quite a bit to learn.

"Lord Inuyasha, your strokes are far too harsh. Look at that symbol, it's barely legible!" The tutor chastised, sighing heavily as he shook his head slowly.

The hanyou growled, placing a hand on his knee as he closed his eyes from irritation. "Excuse me for trying. I mean, these stupid symbols aren't exactly easy to learn. Our language is sort of complex as it is."

"True, but you must practice harder. Although I admit I've been a bit harsh, but only because a young lord should know these things." The man explained, sticking his head up slightly in a snooty manner.

Shiori held up her parchment, her lavender eyes a bit anxious. "How did I do? Is this correct?"

"Excellent work, my dear. Beautiful lines!" He praised. "You could learn a thing or two from her penmanship."

Inuyasha groaned, rolling his eyes. "Whatever! I don't care. As long as people can read it, I don't care how neat my writing is damn it!"

"Such a temper. You are your father's child, after all it seems."

Inuyasha looked up curiously. "Was he seriously that angry?"

"I said temperamental, it doesn't necessarily mean angry. I would call you and the late lord...feisty. There's a difference, in my opinion."

Inuyasha ignored him, unsure of how to respond. Instead, he and Shiori continued to focus on their writing and reading. After half an hour, they were finished and allowed to leave the small room.

o

As the hanyou left, he felt inexplicably tired. The past few months, he'd been noticing that although he felt normal his energy levels had been dropping lately. He was unable to make it through the day without a nap, whereas before he could stay up late or even get by on a few hours of sleep. These days, he needed to sleep often. Not to mention there was his strange new craving for chicken, which he had never really liked that much before but now couldn't get enough of it. Usually, he just ate fish, and maybe some rice. He really did miss ramen just then. Suddenly, he was thankful that he wasn't nauseous and sick like the first time however.

'_Wait a second...I couldn't be...?_' He brushed the thought off.

Instead, he went to go see Takuyamaru, whom he was sort of friendly with now. The bat demon had proved trustworthy for now, and hadn't made any suspicious moves so far. It reminded him of his relationship with Sango. She had attacked him upon first meeting her, mainly because of Naraku, and the beginning of their friendship had started off rocky - they'd been very untrusting of one another at first even though she'd been accepted into their group, mainly due to Kagome and Miroku's insistence.

"Hey." Inuyasha greeted.

The bat demon looked up curiously, his grey-purple hair sliding down his shoulders and back since it wasn't up in its usual ponytail. "Inuyasha."

"If it's okay with you, from now on can I just call you Takuya? Your real name is a mouthful."

"I-!"

"Awesome, thanks." When the other man gave him a put off, irritated look he ignored it and continued anyhow, "So, what are you up to?"

"Reading. Why?" He raised a brow.

"Aren't you bored? You should train with Sesshomaru and I more often. I mean, considering you're a warrior too."

"I consider myself more of an intellectual, actually...even though I do enjoy a good battle. It's the reason I never tried to take a position of leadership in my tribe even though I could've." He explained, "And besides, training in your condition is rather stupid. Don't you think so?"

"My...condition...?" Inuyasha blinked several times. "I'm not...how did you...how can you even tell?"

"I've only known since you stepped in just now, using echolocation. I do that sometimes...use sounds to bounce off things to sense what's nearby. I thought you were someone else, and my sense of smell isn't so good."

"Huh?"

"When I bounced sound waves off you, I detected another being within you. Small, but there. I'm not even going to ask how such a thing is possible." Takuyamaru muttered, snorting amusedly. "I assume it's happened before considering Tsukuyo calls you her mother...?"

"Yeah. I know it's weird...thanks for being cool about it. Most people would freak if they found out that a man was...um, well, you know." Inuyasha mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Pregnant? Yes, I imagine so." Takuyamaru sat up with a grunt, tossing the parchment aside. "So, when are you going to tell Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I'm surprised he hasn't noticed...or me for that matter. I guess we had sort of...given up."

"What?"

"It's been six months since we first started trying...and nothing's happened until recently." Inuyasha realized, since he'd only been feeling off for about a month or so.

"Not the most fertile couple, hm?" The bat looked all too amused, much to the hanyou's ire. "That's one thing Lord Sesshomaru isn't so good at, I suppose. It feels satisfying to know for some reason."

"Hey, now wait a minute. It might be me, not him."

"Well, nobody's perfect." The bat demon drawled, chuckling lowly.

"He's fertile, damn it. So am I, it's just we were trying too much and life's ironic that way. The more you want something, the less you get it and vice versa."

"I guess that's true to an extent."

There was a knock on the door, and they both turned towards it. Jaken's grating, loud voice floated into the room suddenly. "Inuyasha, my lord would like to speak with you! Hurry up, half demon!"

"Alright, tell him I'll be right there. Hang on!" He shouted back, before looking towards the other male. "See you later, Takuya."

"Bye, Yasha."

"The hell?"

"Well, if we're going to be shortening names..." The bat demon smirked, raising a brow slowly.

"Fine, Takuyamaru."

"Thank you...now go. I'm sure it's important."

"See you."

o

Sesshomaru noticed how unusually happy his little brother seemed upon entering. The demon lord gazed at him with subtle confusion, frowning slightly.

"Good news, Inuyasha?" He guessed monotonously.

"No, you first. What is it?" Inuyasha asked casually, crossing his arms tightly.

"I just wanted to see you." Sesshomaru admitted honestly, in his usual cold, deep tone but his eyes held a certain warmth to them. The hanyou quickly recognized it as lust and was unprepared for the rough push he received and the bruising kiss as his back collided against the wall.

Normally, Inuyasha loved surprise, rough mid-day sex. Now things had changed. He needed to be more careful.

Pushing his older brother off, he scowled slightly as he panted from the lack of air as their lips parted. "I have to tell you something."

Kissing his neck deeply, the demon lord bit lightly at the flesh with a smirk. "It can wait." He growled huskily.

Inuyasha moaned, almost forgetting what he wanted to say. Maybe it could wait. However, as Sesshomaru roughly lifted him and prepared to fuck him senseless, a few words made him pause.

"I'm pregnant."

Setting him down slowly, the demon lord merely stared at him as though he hadn't heard him right. "Did you just say that-?"

"We're having a baby? Yeah. This is really happening. I mean, I need to see the healer to make sure everything is okay but...I'm pretty sure of it." Inuyasha told him, grinning a little.

"Inuyasha...you..." Sesshomaru murmured, stepping back with a rare look of awe. He pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, smoothing back his bangs. "I am glad to hear of such news."

His face red and burning, the hanyou looked down and shrugged. "Good. Uh, well it's nice to know you're happy about this too."

"Of course, Inuyasha." He gave him a rare, nearly nonexistent grin.

o

After getting a check up, the healer had informed him he was in fact having twins, possibly more. She couldn't tell the gender yet since he was only two months along but he had a feeling they'd be boys if their family tree was any indication. Females were quite rare amongst full-blooded dog demons, which was the main reason why their population had begun to dwindle so much over the years.

'_Twins...oh, man. Can I handle that along with a toddler? I have a feeling we're gonna have our hands way too full._' Inuyasha thought, rubbing his stomach subconsciously. It was still relatively flat, but he just seemed to now notice that his abs were no longer tight and defined. There was definitely a small bump curving out a little even though it wasn't that noticeable yet. Soon enough though, he'd be huge. Probably bigger than the first time, he realized with a worried frown. He'd only had one before, but two or three? He was nervous just thinking about it. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to be put on bed rest. He nearly groaned just imagining how boring it would no doubt be.

"Hey, pup." A familiar voice said.

Inuyasha glanced up curiously, arching a brow. "Shiro."

"What's the matter? You look paler than usual. Worried about something?" He asked casually, though his eyes shone with a bit of concern.

Inuyasha didn't feel like talking about it, so he forced a smile. "Nah, I'm good. See you later." He walked away quickly before the older male could say anything else or somehow scent the pups he was trying to conceal from everyone.

Everyone but the father.

He didn't want to be fussed over quite yet, and hoped to keep this a secret for a few months longer. Somehow, he knew that'd be impossible.

o

Sesshomaru walked along the halls, determined to find his mate. After revealing he might be pregnant, the demon lord was anxious to know if was true. It had been hours since Inuyasha had told him and now he desired the hanyou's presence if only to know sooner. He was nervous, because immediately following the joy at the thought of being a parent, was fear.

It was a disgusting, tugging feeling that left his stomach tightened from nerves and made his heart race faster.

He glided through the halls with effortless grace, perfectly embodying power and magnificence expected from one with a bloodline as pure as his own. His face was impassively calm and the stride held not a single waver in it. Anyone watching the demon lord would be completely unaware of the turmoil that raged within him.

Becoming a parent was exciting now that he was ready, but he didn't know much about being one. His father had died when he was relatively young, and while he was alive he hadn't spent much time with him as he traveled often. His mother was cold and selfish, only wishing him to be just like her. And he was, at least up until nearly five years ago when he'd first met Rin. Had it been that long already, he thought with a frown. Time was passing too quickly, even for a demon like himself.

Sesshomaru was snapped out of his thoughts as a loud, annoying voice pierced through the halls. "Lord Sesshomaru, you're late for your meeting with your mother and the wolf demon tribe of the North! They are not pleased about being kept waiting! What are you d-?" The dog demon sent the shouting imp a death glare that said quite plainly, running would be a smart idea.

The demon lord was not in the mood for dealing with Jaken or any of his duties at the moment. Jaken, however, wasn't going to be deterred.

"My lord, if I may speak frankly, you've become more and more distracted ever since bringing that half demon to this palace. I know I shouldn't question your judgment, but anyone who jeopardizes your position as lord should not be allowed be stay." He said, clutching the staff of two heads tightly.

The imp cringed, waiting to be hit or crushed. Instead, Sesshomaru stood there contemplating his words. Even though they'd come from a lowly demon such as Jaken, perhaps the imp had a point.

Inuyasha consumed his thoughts lately. If he wasn't rutting with him, he was thinking about him, or buying gifts for him that he thought would suit a mate of someone of his station. It lead to more daydreaming and lately he'd been blocking out meetings as his thoughts wondered to his mate and even Rin sometimes. He did miss the girl and often thought about how she was faring in the human village.

"Inuyasha potentially carries my heirs." He said finally, in a calm voice. "Even if he couldn't give me any, he is my mate and I only ask that you respect him. Or..." The imp knew was coming next but it never made the words any less creepy or intimidating, "I will have to kill you."

"Yes, milord. Forgive me." The imp said, bowing low to the ground.

As he was about to slide open the doors to where the meeting was being held, he sniffed and realized Inuyasha was in the room as well. Upon opening the door, he nearly growled at seeing Kouga sitting there surrounded by two other wolves, one spiky-haired and the other grey-haired.

"Why didn't you tell me the Northern wolf tribe was coming here? You know Kouga and I are friends, sort of. Not really...okay, a little bit." Inuyasha said, smirking.

Kouga laughed lowly, elbowing him slightly. "Shut up, dog breath. You're not even supposed to be in this meeting."

"Hey! I know stuff about...stuff." The hanyou muttered, giving him a cross look that clearly said that his intelligence was insulted and more importantly, his ego.

"We'll see about that." Kouga said gruffly, enjoying how easy it was to push the hanyou's buttons.

Inuyasha scoffed, folding his arms. "Whatever. Stress ain't good for my pups, so I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that."

Kouga and Mizuki didn't seem surprised, meaning Inuyasha must have told them already before he came into the room.

"Pups?" Sesshomaru intoned.

"Yep, two of them. Maybe more."

Sesshomaru was forced to sit down then, unable to stand any longer. He sat next to his mate gracefully, giving the wolf a sour glare. He hated to deal with wolf demons and was glad Inuyasha was here suddenly.

"This is great news." He said finally.

Mizuki stood, smoothing her kimono out. "Yes, it's wonderful, isn't it? Two beautiful grandchildren. You've done well, you two."

Inuyasha blushed heavily while Sesshomaru merely stared at her with slightly widened eyes. Kouga snickered under his breath at the looks on their faces, covering his mouth with his fist to muffle it further. She left moments later, welcoming the few advisers who would be giving them updated news on human retaliation, which was evidently getting worse now that guns were more easily accessible these days.

o

After the meeting was done, Inuyasha pulled him into an empty hallway. He simply raised a brow, trying to contain a smile as he gazed at him meaningfully.

"I bet you didn't think we'd ever get to this point, huh?" Inuyasha asked amusedly.

"No, never. I highly doubt you did either though, brother." He said, a tiny smirk quirking his lips up for a few moments.

"Look at us...we're gonna be parents. Damn, that's not something I figured I'd ever say, especially not with you of all people."

"I could say the exact same thing to you, Inuyasha. Except, I don't fully understand...that is, you are already a parent. I am not."

"It wasn't the same before." Inuyasha said hollowly, his eyes suddenly looking far too tired and sad for someone as young as he was, "I was alone. The father didn't want me."

Sesshomaru didn't know how to console others very well, so he simply placed a hand on the half demon's shoulder comfortingly. The older male then grabbed the back of the other's head, gently pressing his forehead to rest against the hanyou's. He pressed a chaste kiss against the younger man's lips, lingering for a moment before pulling away with a faint warmth softening his golden eyes.

"I will be here for you." He promised quietly, finally speaking and breaking the tense silence.

"Thanks." Inuyasha mumbled, though in that one word it sounded like he didn't really believe him. As though he thought himself so worthless, he already had it in his mind that this relationship would also end one day, if not in the near future.

"I will." The demon lord stressed, looking him directly in the eyes.

Inuyasha didn't comment, not looking totally convinced still. Instead, he just smiled nervously and nodded.

"I'm gonna go find Kouga, catch up with him before he leaves tomorrow. I'll see you later." Inuyasha said suddenly, turning on his heel and walking quickly down the hall, "We're eating in the dining hall tonight, right? Since we have guests?" He called over his shoulder, raising a brow slightly.

"Ah, yes..." Sesshomaru answered, nodding. He wished he had the courage to go to Inuyasha, tell him that he truly did love him and would never abandon him or their pups, but his pride and cold countenance kept him frozen to the spot as his mate rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

o

"Why the hell do you always seem to know where I am?" Inuyasha asked the approaching figure, scowling deeply.

He'd been lying to his brother before when he said he was going to find Kouga. Not that he didn't like the wolf demon, but he just wanted to be alone right now. All the joy he'd been feeling was suddenly replaced by his usual self-hatred that he cleverly disguised with outright arrogance and unwavering confidence.

Now though, his face reflected his inner thoughts, his lips turned into a slight frown. The wolf demon wasn't totally dense - he could tell something was a little off about the hanyou.

Kouga chuckled lowly though, placing his hands on his hips as he stood next to the hanyou who was sitting cross-legged on the ground. "I'm leaving after dinner today, I thought you might wanna catch up or something. I guess you hate me more than I thought." It was spoken facetiously, but it only made the emotional half demon that much more upset.

"I don't hate you." He whispered. "If anything, I hate your stupid stench. You ought to take a bath, scrawny wolf."

"There's the guy I know, I was getting kinda worried." Kouga said, sitting next to him. "Although, considering you're knocked up and all, I guess I could give you a pass on being emotional. Well, more than you already are in the first place."

"Shut up." It was spoken lightly, as a jest between good friends. Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh a little, feeling lighter suddenly as he turned to the other male.

"Ah, man..." Kouga muttered wistfully, "I can't believe you're actually having kids before me. We're really growing up finally...starting families and all that."

"You sound so old." Inuyasha told him, rolling his eyes as he smirked.

"Have you visited your other friends, you know the monk and slayer?" Kouga asked him curiously.

Inuyasha tensed, turning away from the only person that knew him so well. Too well. Besides Miroku, the wolf had always known things about him even he didn't realize until pointed out. Unfortunately, those two knew him better than even his own brother.

It was then he realized that maybe he and Sesshomaru weren't such a good match. Maybe they were too different, if such a thing was possible. Perhaps...opposites didn't always attract.

"I don't want to talk." The hanyou said in a voice unusually cold for him, refusing to look into his curious, blue eyes. "Can we just drop the subject? Let's just enjoy this nice day without talking. Quietly." He turned golden eyes pointedly at the other male, who appeared to take the hint.

The wolf demon stayed silent, looking up at the fluffy clouds and tried to discern what the shapes looked like to him. Less than five minutes later, the two were snickering under their breath like immature pre-teens.

Gradually, Inuyasha's laughs grew louder and Kouga's smirk turned into a slightly more genuine smile as the hanyou couldn't seem to stop.

"You were never good at being quiet, pup." Kouga told him gruffly.

"Neither were you." He countered.

"You know what? You were right before. I need a bath." Standing up, he gestured to the forest below the palace. "You wanna join me or what?"

Smirking widely, he nodded. "Sure."

Any break from his increasingly depressive thoughts were welcome and wolf boy wasn't such a bad comrade after all, now that they weren't fighting over Kagome anymore. Kouga looked to his side, at the man who had changed his ideas about half demons and forming bonds with mortals. He worried about him a little still, but he knew the hanyou was strong. Impressively so.

Inuyasha would be alright. He knew that much, or at least, he hoped.

* * *

_Okay, well that's it for now! I appreciate the alerts/reviews so far and if you have the time, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Warning: Yaoi. Mpreg. Slight angst._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

* * *

Snow fell lightly onto the ground, the sky grey and dismal. Inuyasha took comfort in it though. He enjoyed colder weather, after all. His negative thoughts seemed to match the cold, unforgiving weather. As he stood outside, taking it in with pensive eyes, he gasped as he suddenly felt a scarf being thrown around his neck and tightened securely around him.

Craning his head slightly to look over his shoulder, he smirked as he saw his mate standing right behind him, nearly blending into the snow what with his silver hair, pale skin, and mostly white clothing. It only made his sharp, golden eyes and demonic markings stand out that much more. Indeed, Sesshomaru looked even more beautiful in the dark or when the weather was grey like this.

"You shouldn't spend so much time outside. You are only three months along, but still I'd rather you be in the safety of the palace." Sesshomaru murmured. "Furthermore, your senses are weakening. You seem surprised at my presence as though you couldn't hear me."

"I was just distracted. Plus, I'm fine. You worry too much, Sesshomaru." He said gruffly.

"Are you depressed?" The question was blunt, straight to the point, and caught the small hanyou off guard.

"Huh? Where the hell did that come from, bastard?"

"Ever since finding out you are with child, you've seemed...different. Like you were before, when the priestess left. What is the matter this time?" He asked coolly.

Inuyasha scowled, glaring at him heatedly. "This time? You make it sound like I always have an issue."

"It seems that way to me." The words were cold and harshly spoken.

The hanyou's heart began racing as he grit his teeth slightly. Walking away from him, he gripped the black scarf around his neck more tightly.

"Well, it seems to me that you're always a selfish asshole. I'm allowed to feel whatever the hell I want." Inuyasha spat, seething by this point. He knew anger wasn't good for the pups, but the hell with it. He was mad, damn it.

Sesshomaru didn't reply, instead he simply narrowed his eyes and looked anywhere but at his brother. Looking up at the snow, he wondered what was becoming of their relationship. Perhaps the hanyou didn't want him anymore, that had to be the reason.

"Is it over?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you do not want me anymore, you must let me know. It's only right." Sesshomaru said with a hint of repressed anger.

Inuyasha's expression softened and he shook his head with a sad smile. "That's not it at all. If anything, I'm the one who feels like you don't want me. I guess I'm feeling more insecure than usual...because...well, things don't usually work out so well for me."

Sesshomaru swallowed thickly, though he looked impassive otherwise. "You mean to tell me that you do not feel as though I care for you?"

"I don't know, maybe." Inuyasha shrugged, feeling his earlier rage dissipate as a fresh wave of sorrow overcame him. "It's just that, hell, my entire life has been a series of bad situations. I can't seem to keep a relationship, because no one truly likes a half breed." He snapped, feeling irritating tears prick at the corners of his eyes, a lump forming in his throat. "Kikyo wanted me to change into a human, Kagome ended up not liking my personality, and you...you've always hated me up until recently. And I'm pretty sure it's only because I can have pups, otherwise I'd still be useless to you."

Sesshomaru looked away again, feeling like he was in a dream suddenly. Inuyasha felt as though he were caught in an illusion too, his eyes staring unseeingly at the ground below. There was nothing the demon lord could say to comfort him, because it was all true.

And the truth usually hurt.

"You never treated me like family until it was convenient...like I said before, you would've continued to ignore my existence after we defeated Naraku if it wasn't for this." He placed a hand on his stomach, frowning. "I can't believe I was so stupid as to change my mind. This was probably a mistake."

"Yes." He agreed quietly.

It was painfully silent the next few moments, the snow swirling around their bodies and landing on the ground as the light drizzle began to began to fall more heavily.

"So what happens now?" The hanyou asked gruffly.

"You may stay or leave, it's your choice." Golden eyes narrowed further, a curious spark to them suddenly, "Though, I have to ask. When you said you 'loved' me, was it the truth?"

Inuyasha frowned apologetically, shrugging. "I guess I don't really know what it's like to be loved by someone else. I don't understand the concept of real love, anyway. I think I was just saying it because I'm naive and...so different from everyone else that I jumped at the idea of loving somebody else even if it's not how I feel."

"I see."

"Well, it's not like you really love me either."

"You are wrong about that." Sesshomaru told him, staring pointedly at the half demon, "However, you are right that perhaps I would not have felt like this had Tsukuyo not been born. Had I not known about your...ability. Tell me, how is such a thing possible?"

"How the hell should I know? I haven't found a healer yet who can explain it to me." Inuyasha raised a brow, folding his arms as he shrugged a little.

They sat down together in the cold snow, each attempting to clear their minds, unsure of what to say next. Inuyasha placed his hand against his stomach, where new lives were growing, lives that were created between two prideful, stubborn men. Sesshomaru knew then that too much pride was foolish. Perhaps he wasn't as mature as he liked to think he was, even though he was powerful. So he turned to his little brother, determined to set things on the right path again.

"I have always..." He paused, frowning deeply as the hanyou curiously turned to look at him, "I've always cared about you, Inuyasha. Perhaps not loved, but I always cared."

"Huh?"

"Fool." His eyes turned sharp. "Honestly, Inuyasha, I had far too many opportunities to kill you. Did you not once think it strange that I didn't just slice your head clean off your neck? Or that I defended you against S'ounga's attack and took the hit myself, which would have killed you by the way."

"I don't get it..."

"You do not have to. I've said what I needed to say." If it were in his nature, he would've been madly blushing by now.

"I thought you hated me in the past."

"I hated that father died because of you and your mother." He admitted. "So I placed the blame on you, but I never truly despised you. How could I hate you, Inuyasha? After all, you were something precious that father left me, something more valuable than Tenseiga. Even if you are a half demon." '_And because of you, I was left Tenseiga and forced to learn compassion and ended up with my own powerful weapon, Bakusaiga._'

"Sesshomaru..." Inuyasha's mind felt numb, but in a good way. He felt all the tension and sadness leave his body, not knowing how to reply to that.

So he sat in silence, taking comfort in his older brother's presence. Sesshomaru stood up moments later, offering him a hand.

"Let's go back."

"Okay." Inuyasha suddenly seemed to think of something, his eyes lighting up. "Actually, I'm gonna go to the hot springs first."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"Do whatever you want." Inuyasha smirked. "...but yeah, I'd like for you to join me."

o

The hot springs looked even more inviting surrounded by white, icy snow. The warm water was calling the hanyou's name, and he wasted no time in shedding his clothes and sliding in. Sighing, he propped his elbows on the edge of the hot springs, smiling contentedly.

Sesshomaru got in as well, choosing to tie his silver hair up into a tight bun. He didn't feel like getting it wet today, and would clean his hair tomorrow. Inuyasha liked how he looked with his hair up, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he moved towards him and sat closer to the demon lord, leaning onto his shoulder somewhat. They relaxed like that for several minutes, enjoying the warm water in comfortable silence.

The older male hesitantly turned to him suddenly, as though contemplating his next moves. He gently lifted the hanyou, pulling him into his arms. Kissing him chastely, he drew back and looked into his eyes. The half demon refused to meet his gaze though, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was still in a bad mood from earlier or shyness.

"Is it okay?" Sesshomaru asked vaguely, kissing him again.

Inuyasha understood his intentions, nodding a little. "...yeah."

The air was suddenly too frigid, causing the hanyou to shudder suddenly. This caused the overprotective youkai to looked at him with subtle concern and pull away.

"We should continue this inside." He insisted.

"I'm not cold, I'm just-!" Inuyasha scowled as he stopped mid-way, clearly too annoyed at himself to speak anymore.

"It's fine. We can do such things out here another time." It seemed more like a promise than a suggestion, making the hanyou smirk widely at the thought.

The two slipped on their clothing quickly and made their way back. However, the heat of the springs accompanied by the lightheadness he'd been feeling during his first trimester took a toll on the hanyou and he ended up swaying a little as they walked. One moment he was next to the demon lord and the next he was face down in the snow, passed out. Sesshomaru's head snapped towards his mate, his usual impeccable reaction time ruined from the shock of seeing his normally strong mate simply collapse onto the icy ground.

"Inuyasha!" He knelt next to him, worriedly scanning his form.

Scooping him up, he flew back up to the floating palace hurriedly, frowning slightly. He looked at the face of his mate, who soft features made him look like a puppy-eared doll while sleeping. Those beautiful features were always tarnished while he was awake though, what with all the scowling and cursing he did most of the time.

By the time Sesshomaru reached the healer, he was actually a bit red-faced. From worry or fear, he didn't know. He hardly cared if he seemed unlike himself at the moment, all that mattered was protecting his mate and children.

"Help him!" He demanded. "Please." The dog demon added politely, remembering his upbringing as a lord, which meant using his manners unless on the battlefield. There were no rules in the heat of battle.

"Of course, sir." She said, looking over the hanyou's body. The woman felt his pulse, humming to herself pensively. "What happened to the child?"

"He passed out." Sesshomaru said shortly, his eyes never leaving the hanyou's unconscious form.

Her eyes flickered up to him curiously. "I hope there's more to the story than that, my lord."

"We were bathing in the hot springs. After getting out, he seemed fine, but apparently not." The demon lord murmured, finally looking at her.

"Well, he is with child after all. I think it's just a combination of dizziness and too much variance in weather...cold to hot...and back again. The body is more sensitive while pregnant, that's all. He'll be just fine if he rests." She explained calmly. "If he gets a fever, come back to me. It could be something more serious."

"Thank you."

The demon lord carried the hanyou back to their room hastily, setting him gently onto their large futon. Curling up into the sheets, the younger man sighed a little but didn't completely awaken. Sesshomaru sat next to him, brushing his bangs back. Even though he was a full-fledged demon that required little rest, something about Inuyasha's presence relaxed him and the next thing he knew he was fast asleep also.

o

Sesshomaru woke up first, at first not aware of where he was. Looking down, he noticed he had fell asleep next to the hanyou but luckily he didn't have his armor on. He'd discarded of it before laying down earlier.

"Inuyasha?" He felt his face - he didn't feel hot, just warm.

The hanyou blearily opened his eyes, looking up at him through half-lidded exhausted eyes. "Huh?"

"You may sleep longer if you like. I just wanted to make sure you were well." Sesshomaru told him quietly.

"I'm fine." The hanyou muttered, "Although I'm really hungry. What the hell happened to me anyway?"

"You passed out. Do you not remember?"

"No..." The half demon blinked sleepily, a wide yawn stretching his mouth. "Uh, thanks for carrying me back."

"You make it sound as though I had a choice. It was nothing." Sesshomaru told him resolutely. '_I would always choose to protect you._'

"You were worried. Admit it." Inuyasha said smugly, smirking.

The older male admitted nothing, but he didn't deny the half demon's words either which made Inuyasha pause, then smile warmly. They sat in comfortable silence, until he felt a kiss pressed against his neck. The hanyou turned to him curiously when his nose nuzzled his throat much in the same fashion as a dog would to a human.

"Sesshomaru. What are-?" He was silence by a deep, forceful kiss. Moaning, he felt the other's tongue enter his mouth and soon they were locked in a passionate kiss. Only the need for oxygen finally forced them apart, panting slightly.

The demon lord came to his senses suddenly, remembering that Inuyasha needed to rest. "I should go. I'll have dinner brought-!"

"Later. Dinner can wait." Inuyasha said, nearly ripping the other's haori apart. Sesshomaru was taken aback at his passion, a passion he hadn't seen this fiercely since they'd first been romantically involved. It was strangely exciting and soon he forgot his earlier concerns. The half demon seemed more than fine, after all.

The half demon kissed at the other's neck, trailing down his chest and stopped to lick a rosy nipple. Sesshomaru suddenly flipped them so that he was on top, his eyes gleaming lustfully in the otherwise dim room. Inuyasha shed his clothing quickly, tugging on the demon lord's obi and untying it. Sesshomaru wanted to make the night about Inuyasha's pleasure, not his own, but was unsure of how to say it. Instead, he lined his mouth up with the hanyou's cock, which wasn't bigger than his own but looked as though it were up close and personal like this.

"What are-?" The hanyou tried again, confused by the older man's stillness.

Sesshomaru cut him off by licking once across the head and Inuyasha was forced to turn his question into an exclamation instead.

"Ah!"

The reaction made Sesshomaru more bold and he leant forward to run his tongue along the shaft from base to tip and finished off by wrapping his lips around the sensitive head and sucking it just hard enough to make the half demon squirm and moan his pleasure aloud. Inuyasha was surprised the other man was even doing this - normally it was the other way around, and then the demon lord would enter him and bring them to a climax. This was definitely different tonight, but he wasn't complaining either.

Sesshomaru tasted pre-cum suddenly on his tongue and heard the half demon gasp and groan which only caused his arousal to ache even more. If Inuyasha continued to moan like that, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back much longer.

He heard Inuyasha hiss, shutting his eyes tight. "Hey! Your fangs!"

Damn, he should've been paying more attention. It was probably just a light nick, but on such sensitive flesh it probably hurt quite a bit. Still, Sesshomaru wanted to rile him up a little, so he smirked instead of apologizing.

"Considering you've gone through labor, that should have not hurt at all." He teased, licking his shaft slowly from base to tip again, causing the hanyou to shudder with a pleased sigh.

"D-damn you...it happened awhile ago...and other stuff still hurts too you know. Not as bad as having a baby, but still." Inuyasha breathed, his eyes practically begging him to finish him off. He was so close, he could feel his orgasm welling up, making his muscles tight and his breathing heavy.

"How badly do you want it?"

Inuyasha gave a groan of aggravation, rolling his head back. "You know I hate teasing. Just...please..." He panted, blushing heavily.

Smirking a little, he slid his mouth down around the pulsing hardness, pleased when Inuyasha's back arched and his hands gripped the blankets tightly. His own cock twitched from excitement as the hanyou gave a long moan followed by a curt cry as he released into his mouth without warning. The younger male looked slightly mortified, though glowing and relaxed at once.

"I'm sorry about that...I couldn't speak. It was pretty intense." He admitted, his ears lowering as his face heated up so much he could feel his cheeks burn.

"It's fine." Sesshomaru told him, feeling very pleased with himself that he could pleasure his mate so well, though it didn't show on his impassive expression. He swallowed some, but wiped the rest off easily as he watched the other male sit up straight.

To his surprise, the hanyou reached over and began stroking him gently. He was so turned on, it didn't take very long at all for him to release in long spurts into his mate's skillful hands. Inuyasha licked the head to clean him off, making the full demon grimace as the pleasure turned almost painful. It was still sensitive from release, but he didn't complain as the younger male licked his shaft free of his seed.

o

They laid in bed together later, enjoying the other's company. Sesshomaru had a hand splayed across the hanyou's bare stomach, taking in the moment. His eyes were a little more gentle than usual as he stared at the tiny bump that housed the lives of their unborn children. Somehow, his older brother seemed more real then. Like he wasn't just a beautiful, cold being incapable of emotion that did everything flawlessly with precise calculation. Here was a man who seemed more human, as much as a demon could be anyway.

"I wonder if they will be sons or daughters?" The demon lord murmured idly, speaking his thoughts aloud.

"It might be one of each." The hanyou told him.

"That would be perfect, a boy and a girl at the same time. It's rarer to have those sort of twins, however."

"I know, but still. It could be both..." Inuyasha insisted.

"I suppose."

"No matter what they are, we'll love them. Right?"

"Of course." Sesshomaru sat up suddenly, slipping his clothes on, "I'll be back. You need food. It's getting late and you still haven't eaten."

"It's okay, I'm not that hungry anymore. I can wait until morning."

"I don't care. I will be back soon."

Sesshomaru didn't miss the small smile on Inuyasha's face as he left. It seemed he could see through the cold words, at the hidden meaning under them much like Rin. It was irritating, yet it made him all the more endearing.

* * *

_I guess this is where I'll leave it for now. I'll most likely come back to this story, just taking a bit of a break. With school starting and a new job, I probably won't have as much time. Thanks for your patience and support for this story, for all those who've reviewed/added to their alerts so far!_

_Reviews are always appreciated and thanks for reading!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Warning: Yaoi. Mpreg. Slight angst._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha._

* * *

Over the next few months, Inuyasha didn't fail to notice how overprotective the demon lord had become. The older man stayed dutifully by his side whenever he could. It was sweet, and yet it left Inuyasha feeling horribly annoyed. He didn't like to be fussed over at all. He'd always been that way - self-sufficient and a bit of a loner. After being in his own world for so long, having someone care so deeply for him made him feel flattered but also oddly embarrassed.

It was also very disconcerting and left the half demon wondering if the demon lord even had any real responsibilities since he spent most of his time with him these days. He had quickly learned that his mother, the lady of the house, actually took care of most of the meetings and political affairs, just as she had while Sesshomaru had been gone training and traveling the lands in search of Naraku.

As the pregnant hanyou turned the corner, he stopped suddenly. Sesshomaru also stopped, looking over at him curiously. The hanyou looked nice in his new kimono, which was a deeper crimson than normal and looser to accommodate the pregnancy. The older male eyed the swell of his stomach, which looked as though he were ready to give birth any moment, even though he was seven months along. However, since he was having multiples, he was quite big already and still had a few more months to go.

"Stop following me already! It's getting on my damn nerves. I'm fine." He spat, his ears twitching from annoyance.

"I will leave you then. If you need me, let me know." He murmured quietly, still not moving. The hanyou realized slowly that the demon lord was waiting for confirmation.

Approval.

"Y-Yeah. Sure, whatever. I'll see you later." He said, watching as he left with a surprised look etched onto his face.

The hanyou began walking, until he felt a sharp pain in his hip and ended collapsing onto his bottom seemingly out of nowhere. Anyone passing him would've thought it strange, since nothing had hit him. The injury was internal, he realized with panic as he rubbed his side which was now sore and throbbing a little.

"Inuyasha?" A worried voice asked, not belonging to his overprotective mate. "Are you alright?"

"Shiro?" He looked up, a look of irritation on his face, but it wasn't because of the other male. He just hated being weak like this, and knew that it would give Sesshomaru more of a reason to worry about him.

"Let me." The older man reached out a hand, nodding towards it as if to tell him silently to suck up his pride and just let him help out.

"Fine." He growled, allowing his hand to be taken gently and he found himself quickly hoisted up and back on his feet. Taking a tentative step, the pain still lingered and his hip seemed to pop a little as he attempted to walk. "Ow, damn it..."

"What's wrong?" He asked, raising a concerned brow. "Is it the pups?"

"No..." Inuyasha muttered. "It's nothing. I'll live." He said tersely.

Shiro ignored him, picking up the bewildered hanyou and took him to the healer. After examining his hip and the pups, a worried crease wrinkled her forehead as she frowned deeply. Her eyes hesitantly rose to meet theirs.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked impatiently, though his tone was low and hushed from concern. He could tell from the look in her eyes something bad had happened, or would happen.

"First, you need to be put on bed rest, because your hips seem to be popping out of place slightly from the strain of carrying those pups." When their eyes widened, she continued hastily, "However, that's not the worst news."

The hanyou's stomach sank and he frowned slightly. Folding his arms nervously onto his lap, he restlessly picked at the fabric of his crimson kimono as he tried to somehow block out her words.

"My lord? Do you hear me?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes, sighing through his nose. "Yes." He answered, "It's just..."

"I know it's hard to hear this, but you need to. Because you're so tiny, your hips don't leave much room for one much less several pups. The pups are beginning to put too much pressure on some of your vital organs which could lead to complications later on. Also, since you're half demon, you don't have an animal form to rely on. If you could transform like Lord Sesshomaru, then it wouldn't be a problem anymore since four-legged creatures have more room with which to carry offspring."

"Okay, but what's the actual point? Where are you going with this?" His voice was tinged with confusion.

Hana looked up at them with a deep frown on her face. "It means that you might have to deliver early, and because of that, your children might not make it. They'll be premature, but there may not be a choice."

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat. The healer frowned, feeling quite badly for him. It looked like she'd violently slapped him across the face. His eyes were unfocused, before he blinked rapidly and looked down at his lap.

The older man placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and was pleasantly surprised when he didn't try to shrug him off.

"Inuyasha, I know this is hard to hear-!" Shiro began gently.

"I won't let you do it." The hanyou said suddenly, sounding very distant and frazzled all of a sudden.

Hana frowned, reaching out to try to take a hand consolingly but he drew back. "My lord, I understand how difficult this must be but it's the only option."

"And what happens if I refuse to let you intervene?" Inuyasha snapped, raising a brow. "What the hell are you gonna do?"

She frowned at his slightly childish tone, sighing a bit. "Well, I can't force you into anything. You are nearly a grown man. However, you are putting your health at serious risk, not so much the pups..." The woman paused, sipping some tea before adding solemnly, "But if you die, they die as well."

"I'll be fine. I'm carrying to term." He said firmly, folding his arms, his eyes narrowing as though daring her to challenge him.

"You're most likely making a mistake." She pointed out calmly, her eyes flickering towards him seriously.

"I know...but I want them to be healthy. I don't want to deliver premature..." He paused, swallowing hard, "If they didn't make it because of that..." His head hung slightly, a grimace twisting his face, "I'd rather we all die then to live and watch my pups die. They'll probably be too small to make it...I couldn't live with that."

Hana's face softened as she folded her hands. "I see. Well, when you put it in those terms, I suppose it does make sense to try to make it nine months. However, you must be careful. Bed rest is required, not an option."

"I know."

"I'm assuming your first pregnancy didn't have these complications because you were only carrying one, even though a man's body wasn't made to bear a child?"

"Yeah, it was pretty easy all things considered." Inuyasha recalled, nodding.

They dismissed themselves then, thanking her for her time and expertise. The hanyou walked back to his room with a heavy heart and even the easy-going male next to him didn't know what to say to lighten the mood this time. So he walked silently next to Inuyasha, glancing at him worriedly.

A sudden gasp made Inuyasha look over at him worriedly - it was a gasp of pain, not surprise. The older man was clutching his chest, grunting a little as sweat beaded at his hairline.

"What-?" The hanyou began.

"It's nothing." He forced out, shaking his head. "It's just, I'm so old, I believe my heart is beginning to fail me. Believe it or not, demons are still susceptible to heart attacks if they get old enough."

"You've had a heart attack?" Inuyasha paled, frowning.

"Once, not long ago. I wanted to keep it a secret...I didn't want you to worry. Unlike Takuyamaru and Sesshomaru, I can tell that you secretly have a kind nature. You're a good person, Inuyasha."

The hanyou swallowed thickly, feeling his eyes mist slightly. "Idiot, why wouldn't you tell me something like that had happened to you? Now you're probably feeling stressed over my situation and you'll die on me and it'll be my fault as usual."

"Nonsense. I've been feeling pain all morning, it's not your fault."

"How the hell can you be so damn calm when you're on the verge of death, you old geezer!" Inuyasha yelled, shoving him a little as a terrible mix of pregnancy and male hormones overwhelmed him. The half demon wanted to console the man and punch him in the face at the same time.

Shiro only chuckled, rubbing his shoulder slightly. "I've lived longer than most...and I think I'm ready to go now. I've lived for more than a thousand years, literally. Even longer than Jaken, you know. Although, I do hope before I go, that I'll be able to see those pups."

Inuyasha sighed anxiously. "I hope so too. You'd better not die on me before I have these brats."

"I can't promise, but I look forward to meeting those two."

o

The hanyou sat in his room, a scroll sprawled across his rounded belly as he practiced his reading skills some more. He was getting much better and found he actually enjoyed reading stories. Tsukuyo was on the floor, papers and brushes everywhere as she painted a picture.

Her elbow was wedged firmly on the floor, her hand cupping her little as she drew with slow yet messy strokes. Her tongue stuck out in concentration as she painted. The little one was almost two and was quite advanced for her age. Unfortunately, the older she became, the more she looked like her father Inuyasha realized. He loved her anyway, and refused to love her less just because she reminded him of the wolf demon.

"Papa! Look! Look it!" She whined, eager to show him her masterpiece.

"Hm? Oh, let's see." He said, smiling warmly.

He hoisted himself up, growling a little at how hard it was to move these days. Digging a hand into his back, he walked over to her and knelt down next to the child. He supposed he could've asked her to come to him, but when she patted the space next to her with that adorable face of hers he couldn't resist.

"Is good? See? Colors!" She exclaimed, pointing to the paper with an excited grin.

"Yes, I see the colors. They're very...nice." He assured her, forever amused by her almost nonsensical toddler way of speaking.

"So pwetty!" She added loudly, clapping her hands. "I make this."

"I know." He told her, smiling. "You did a good job. Did you draw me and you?" He asked, having a hard time discerning what it actually was.

"Yes! Me...you...but I couldn't make daddy." She explained quietly, shaking her head. "He hard to draw, papa."

Inuyasha chuckled, knowing she meant Sesshomaru. "Yeah, he is." He then pointed to the drawing, "What color is that?" He asked, testing her.

"Wed." She couldn't say red properly yet, but he praised her still.

"Good job. And what's that?"

"Yellow."

"Good girl. You're so smart."

"I want make more, papa." She insisted.

"Huh? Oh, you mean draw more pictures. Go ahead." He handed her a clean brush. "Use this one instead. And don't put it in your mouth again this time, okay?"

"Okay..." She said, lowering her head as she smiled a little deviously, like she knew it was wrong the first time. Seriously, the kid was too smart for her own good. Inuyasha decided he was going to have to keep a better eye on her from now on. "Daddy!" She suddenly yelled.

"You wanna draw him?" He asked curiously.

"No, daddy!" She pointed, clapping her hands excitedly as she walked over to him.

Sesshomaru looked at the child, then his mate. "Your sense of smell must be weakened by all this paint."

"Yeah..."

The demon lord looked oddly cross though, anger blazing in his stare. "I spoke with the healer. She insisted that you deliver as soon as possible, but you declined. Tell me, what is the meaning of this?"

"Not in front of Tsukuyo, not now." He muttered tiredly.

"She can barely understand us. Now answer me...I am concerned." He admitted, hoping it would calm the half demon.

Inuyasha stared at him long and hard for several moments, before sighing heavily. "This is my body, so it's my choice. I'm aware of the risk of continuing this pregnancy, but I'm going through with it."

Sesshomaru took a sharp, steadying breath through his nose. "You speak as though you are invincible. Not even demons are-!

"I know, so shut up!" Inuyasha yelled, before frowning as his daughter whimpered and looked between them worriedly, "Look, I'm not changing my mind."

"Such a fool." Sesshomaru said, his cold tone more icy and cruel than he'd heard it in a long time. It concerned him, but he didn't relent.

"Sorry that you mated an idiot like me."

He expected Sesshomaru to tell him he was being childish as usual, but clearly the older male was actually concerned and truly did love him now, because he simply stood there with what could only be called a wild expression. He looked unsettlingly angry and yet...like he didn't know how to express his fury. The demon lord never stuttered though, so he kept his mouth shut tight to avoid such a thing.

"Say something." Inuyasha said quietly.

Then the demon lord did the most hurtful thing, worse than arguing back or physically harming him.

He simply left.

Completely ignored his presence.

o

Sesshomaru paced back and forth furiously, with Shiro trying in vain to calm him down. Takuyamaru watched with a lazy, uninterested expression as the two paced around outside. His purple eyes closed and he sighed deeply.

"Will you two stop, you're making me dizzy!" He complained.

"That ingrate!" He stopped, clutching the sword that rested lower than Bakusaiga. "At least I have this...Tenseiga. I can bring him back if something happens...however..."

Shiro raised a brow, feeling oddly out of breath. His chest and left arm ached, but he ignored it for now.

"The young lord is only trying to make sure that the pups are healthy, even if it costs him his life. I think it's brave." He said, defending the half demon.

"Brave, yet foolish." Sesshomaru murmured.

"All you have to do is accept this, forgive him, and hope that the rest of the pregnancy is smooth." Shiro said reasonably, keeping a gentle tone.

Sesshomaru's eyes looked strangely forlorn as he looked out at the horizon. "I know that much, however I do not wish to lose him." He looked up, remembering Rin's death in the underworld. How frightened and the sickening sadness that he had felt upon realizing she had died yet again, the horror at realizing that he might not be able to save her life. '_Simply because my mother and I have the ability to bring back beings from the dead, would not make his death any less painful._'

"I understand, but you must be strong for him. If you are, then hopefully in a few months time you will have two beautiful children and it will have all been worth it." Shiro told him calmly.

"He's right, you know." Takuyamaru piped up, staring at Sesshomaru pointedly.

"I didn't ask for your opinion." He said sharply, "Though perhaps you two have a point."

o

When he arrived back in their room, it was still bright because of the many candles. Inuyasha had Tsukuyo near him, both of them eating dinner. He noticed an extra tray that lay at the foot of the bed.

Inuyasha looked up at him, his expression unreadable. "You didn't come back for dinner, so I wrapped your food up on that tray. You haven't eaten in awhile, so..."

"All done!" Tsukuyo exclaimed, rubbing her belly.

"All done? You didn't even finish it...oh well..." Inuyasha shrugged, before pointing at his tray, "There's sake too, if you wanted a drink. I don't know if you like it, but maybe it'll warm you up. Take some stress off, or something."

Sesshomaru nodded hesitantly, feeling strangely guilty for reacting the way he did earlier. More than that however, he felt guilty that Inuyasha seemed to forgive him for his almost childish outburst. But he had needed to get away for awhile, to take the time to clear his head. He assumed Inuyasha had spent time thinking as well and hoped his mate would forgive him for his anger. It seemed he already had, the demon lord noticed.

"I am sorry for losing my temper."

The hanyou almost laughed incredulously at the sentence. The great demon lord was...sorry, as though he were talking to an equal, not someone he barely knew or considered himself better than. Usually, he simply gave a very formal 'I apologize' when he felt he needed to, but it sounded sincere this time. It almost made Inuyasha smile.

"Sorry?"

"Yes, I know that you must be upset with me. The intensity of my anger was unnecessary." He sat down on the bed, absently rubbing Tsukuyo's head. She smiled, leaning into the demon lord's comforting caress. "I suppose I need to work on my temper still. It might be worse than yours."

"Might be?" Inuyasha snickered, "At least I release mine often, you keep your anger bottled up. That ain't healthy. You gotta release it somehow. I'm not saying you gotta act like me, but...you know, do something else to release it."

"What would you suggest?"

"Reading...meditating...taking a relaxing walk...music or...well, you know." Inuyasha looked at him suggestively, smirking a little. "Hell, it don't even gotta be with someone else. By yourself, you know."

"No."

"You mean, you've never...?" Inuyasha wasn't really surprised though. He couldn't imagine the demon lord pleasing himself. He probably viewed such a thing as disgraceful, disgusting, or whatever aristocrats were brought up to learn. "It would be a turn on for me if you let me watch you do it, you know."

"Would it?" Sesshomaru's face actually scrunched, as though trying to process how his beautiful mate could have such filthy thoughts or how it could possibly arouse him.

"Yes...but that's not important tonight. I need to know that you support me with this." Inuyasha placed a hand on his belly, looking more serious all of a sudden. He glanced at his daughter suddenly, noticing she'd fallen asleep judging by her deep breaths and the drool that was about to fall from her mouth.

"I don't, but I will be there for you regardless." Sesshomaru replied, his eyes narrowing.

Inuyasha bit his lip, his eyes darkening with disappointment, yet he nodded resolutely. "Thanks."

Sesshomaru was very serious, staring at him intently. There was a strange intensity there that Inuyasha couldn't really understand, but didn't feel like delving into it too much since he was already feeling overwhelmed.

Then, the demon lord reached out a hand and caressed the half demon's cheek gently. Inuyasha let him do as he pleased, watching his every movement. After a few minutes, the hanyou looked down at Tsukuyo. Her head was on his lap, or what was left of his lap since his bump took up most of it, her tiny fists curled up at her chest as she slept.

"I guess I'll-!"

"Let me." Sesshomaru said, knowing what he wanted already. He picked the sleepy toddler up, carrying her back to her room and putting her down for bed.

When he came back, the half demon smirked and gestured for him to come over. "Lie with me?"

Sesshomaru gripped Inuyasha's hand and pressed lips to elegant fingers so much like his own. Silently, he moved to lay down next to him, rubbing his mate's stomach almost without a second thought. Inuyasha let him though, before moving and untying the fabric enough to allow him to feel it better.

The demon lord rubbed the bare, tight skin wondering how his mate could possibly be comfortable. The skin surprisingly had little stretch marks and felt a bit hard and stretched under his touch. There was a movement, causing him to nearly reel back. Feeling it again, his eyes widened slightly as he felt a kick to his palm.

"It's strong." He murmured, subtle pride lacing his voice. "That is quite..." He didn't know how to phrase how amazing this all was without sounding corny so he let his words trail off, admiring his mate even further for giving them a family.

"It's something else, isn't it?" Inuyasha said, raising a brow. "Anytime I feel down, or fat, or whatever...when the pups kick it's annoying as hell but it's also incredible. Like, they're really growing and thriving already...and they're not even born."

"...Ridiculous, you are not overweight to me, you're with child. You look quite beautiful in my opinion."

"Even with swollen ankles? Sure...whatever you say. I know what I look like. Just like I knew what I looked like while carrying Tsuki."

"If you mean beautiful, then yes. Besides, it's only temporary."

Inuyasha smiled a little at him, before it turned into a smirk as he looked at him with a gleam of admiration in his eyes.

Sesshomaru had a way of simplifying things, but not always in a condescending way. Sometimes it really was smart and wise, the things he said. Inuyasha felt oddly comforted by his words, smirking as he leaned onto his chest.

"Yeah, I'm being pretty vain...I guess it doesn't matter in the end. I just hope they're healthy."

"As do I." _  
_

Sesshomaru also didn't mention that he actually liked the way his mate looked with child even more, but he knew how hard pregnancy was on his body, so after these pups were born they were going to have to be very careful from then on.

"What are we gonna name them?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"I think we should wait until we can see them." The demon lord suggested.

"Okay..." Inuyasha rubbed his stomach fondly, grunting in pain a little as one of the pups kicked a little too hard and he swore the kick landed near his lungs because he suddenly felt breathless even though he was laying down. "Damn brats, they won't calm down. They're definitely ours, alright."

Sesshomaru gestured for him to turn around on his side, and the hanyou did so with a confused look. The demon lord got up in search of something and once he found it he was back at Inuyasha's side with a vial of oil. The younger man had a pillow propped comfortably between his legs, to take some of the strain the pups caused off of his back as he was massaged by gentle, adept hands. The feeling of his back being rubbed eventually made him doze off, a content smile on his face.

o

In the dining room, two figures sat drinking sake. Shiro downed another glass, hiccuping a little as he set it down.

The bat demon looked at him with a raised brow. "Maybe you ought to slow down. That's a lot even for a demon..."

"So? I haven't much time left anyway." He muttered. "Anyhow, what news have you heard about those humans? You said Inuyasha knew something we didn't."

"Yes." The other man nodded, not looking at him. He felt disappointed in him, that he seemed to be giving up because of his health issues but kept quiet about it. "He said that we'll be safe from humans for quite some time. They won't really start driving us out for at least another century or more. That's when things will start changing...becoming more modern. It will be a new era..."

"I suppose I won't be around to see it." He muttered, scoffing amusedly. "So it's not my problem luckily."

The air grew tense as Takuyamaru's irritation rose suddenly.

"Stop talking like that. You don't know what fate has planned for you." The younger demon snapped, finally glaring over at him. "And put down that sake, you've had enough now."

"I'm far too old for you to be speaking to me like that, child. Have you any respect for your elders?" He asked gruffly.

"No, not really." The bat demon sneered, looking away from him again.

Shiro's brows furrowed suddenly, his eyes closing as he suddenly became immersed deeply in his thoughts. The other man watched him with half-lidded eyes and a grumpy pout. The purple-eyed demon sighed heavily as he got up from the table, but Shiro's voice stopped him.

"Try not to have too many regrets when you get to be my age, if you live that long." He murmured quietly.

The bat youkai simply stared at him, eyes widened as he turned to him.

"I was so interested in money and gaining wealth, rather than strength like the young lords, that I neglected to obtain the thing that makes it all worth it." He continued, fiddling with the empty cup on the table, before filling it again.

"Love?"

"...a family." Shiro murmured, looking at his rippling reflection as he swished his drink around. "So yes, love I suppose."

"That's _your_ idea of happiness, but personally family isn't important to me. I don't need anyone, I like being by myself." Takuyamaru said quietly, shrugging.

"I can respect that, however...you never think about the idea? Especially at your age?"

The younger male's face burned as he averted his gaze, scoffing rudely. "Of course not, I don't care about that stuff. I'm fine on my own. Besides, it's all too bothersome. Taking care of other people, having to put them first...I know myself very well. I'm selfish."

"At least you can admit it." Shiro commented. "So many people aren't even aware of their shortcomings."

"Tell me about it. They act like they're perfect or something, like Lord Sesshomar-!"

The smell of another dog demon filled their noses, soft footsteps audible suddenly in the room. The two turned with large, worried eyes at the stoic dog demon that stood there.

"I came to eat my meal in here, since Inuyasha fell asleep. I did not want to bother him. I did not realize that there were others in here..." He said coldly, eyeing them knowingly and they knew right then he'd heard the bat's comment about him.

"We can leave, if you'd like." Shiro said politely.

"What? We were here fir-!" When he saw the anxious, disapproving look of the older man he sighed and relented, "Fine, we'll get outta your way. See you later."

Sesshomaru eyed them observantly, his eyes narrowing a little. "You two are getting close."

Takuyamaru blushed heavily as he glared indignantly. "W-What? No way! Only as friends! I don't even like him that much, he's all old and decrepit! He needs someone to watch him!"

Shiro rolled his eyes. "You make me sound like a charity case."

The bat whipped his head towards him, scowling. "That's not...I just meant...ugh, see this is why I don't like people and prefer solitude. Socializing is so bothersome."

"I agree." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Y-You do?" The bat demon blinked several times, oddly flattered before scoffing once again as he turned on his heel. "Whatever, I'm leaving. See you guys around!"

As he left, the young bat demon felt his wrist being gripped lightly. "Wait."

He turned around to look at Shiro, frowning a bit apologetically though it was clear from the look in his eyes he still didn't want to talk. "Look, I'm sorry about calling you decrepit. I do sort of like spending time with you, but I wasn't about to let Lord no-personality find that out."

"It's fine, I figured that much out." Shiro's eyes grew warm, causing the other's cheeks to warm but out of embarrassment. "I like you very much, Takuya."

"...okay." He muttered. '_Ugh, typical. Couldn't we just be friends? Then again...I've always been alone until now...so...maybe I'll change my mind._'

"_Okay?_ You really are socially awkward, aren't you?" Now the old dog looked amused, smirking widely. "You're different, I like that about you."

"Why? Most people think I'm weird." He said before he could stop himself, feeling like mentally slapping himself for revealing his insecurities so easily.

A gentle kiss was pressed to his lips, causing him to close his eyes. He felt his grayish-purple hair being smoothed back lovingly and when he opened his eyes he saw warm pools of amber.

"Good night." The older male murmured.

"Wait...don't." His gaze turned suggestive, gesturing towards his room. "You could lay with me for awhile."

"I'd like that." Shiro said, taking his hand.

The sliding door was shut, candles lit and burning, illuminating the room brightly as the two laid next to each other. The older male didn't once leave the room the entire night, and eventually the candles were blown out as passionate sighs and moans could be loudly heard even from down the hallway.

* * *

_Sorry if this chapter sucked, I had writer's block and ended up writing a sort of 'filler' chapter. I can say though that future chapters will be more interesting (hopefully lol). Also, I realize that this chapter focused on my OC's more than usual, but hopefully it didn't take away too much from the chapter itself. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Until next time! _


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